Pearl Harbor
by BuffyL
Summary: This is like the movie with a few major changes. Read inside for a better summery. RR please.
1. The Beginning

A/N Ok, I was watching "Pearl Harbor" and I couldn't resist! It just seemed like the cutest little story to write. Of course, this is a B/A fic! What else would it be? Most things in this story are going to be VERY similar to the movie, but I changed some things around. Obviously. Um, there are no vamps or Slayers or demons in this. Just humans. Ok, on with the story. PS You get to imagine Angel in uniform! How much better can it get? EEP!  
Characters (I don't have a lot of main character young guys to choose from, so I've been looking back throughout Buffy and Angel history to get these characters):  
  
Angel-Rafe  
  
Doyle-Danny  
  
Spike-Billy  
  
Xander-Red  
  
Riley-Anthony  
  
Buffy-Evelyn  
  
Willow-Betty  
  
Fred-Sandra  
  
Cordelia-Barbara  
  
Anya-Martha  
Pearl Harbor  
The Beginning  
*Illinois 1926*  
  
Liam Angelus McCawley and Francis Doyle Walker were best friends. They had been most of their lives. Both of them wanted to be fighter pilots and to them, they were already pretty good. World War I had ended a few years ago and Angel and Doyle (as everyone called them) were still hooked on "fighting" the Germans. They were both 10 years old and Angel's father was out crop dusting again.  
  
"German bandits at 2 o'clock." Angel yelled.  
  
"Increase throttle! Power dive!" Doyle yelled back.  
  
They buzzed their lips in a flying noise and worked the controls, Angel's bare feet were on one pedal, and Doyle's were on the other. Doyle looked down from the back of their fake airplane and saw that Angel had misspelled rudder again.  
  
"Spell it right, Angel. Rudder is spelled with two d's." Doyle rubbed away the misspelled part of the word and wrote it over, making sure it was spelled right.  
  
"Thank's man." Angel said.  
  
"Whoa! Bandits!"  
  
"Crack shootin' Doyle!"  
  
"Crack shootin' Angel!"  
  
"Land of the free."  
  
"Home of the brave!"  
  
"There's another one!" Angel yelled as he shot his fake machine gun. Their vocal motors roared again as Angel's father flew by. The boys pretended to shoot at the "enemy" plane.  
  
"Come on!" Angel jumped out and ran after his father's plane. They watched it fly overhead and land near them. "Great flying dad!" Angel's father waved at them and then drove away in his truck. "Come on, I'm going to teach you how to fly." They ran over to the plane and started to climb in.  
  
"I get the front!" Doyle said.  
  
"No! You get the back!"  
  
"I'm bigger and I should be in front!"  
  
"I'm older and I'm teachin'. So no."  
  
"Wow! It's like we're really flyin'!"  
  
"Yeah, I do lotsa times. Come on, you man the guns. I'll give her some throttle. We gotta get those dirty German bandits."  
  
They're motors started running again as they pretended to shoot at the Germans again. Angel started to mess with the switches and suddenly the engine kicked on. "OH MY GOSH!" Angel yelled.  
  
"AH!" They both yelled as the plane shot forward.  
  
"MAKE IT STOP ANGEL!"  
  
"I've seen my dad do this lotsa times! Don't worry!"  
  
"Angel!" The plane lifted off the ground.  
  
"WHOA MY GOSH! WE'RE FLYING!"  
  
"WE'RE FLYING!"  
  
They stayed in the air for a few more seconds and then the plane hit the ground again and Angel figured out how to turn it off. They stayed sitting in the plane, staring in shock and gasping with excitement. Suddenly, Angel stood and jumped out, Doyle following close behind.  
  
"Oh my gosh, my dad is gonna kill me!" Angel said as they ran back up to the barn. "Come on!"  
  
"YES! WOO HOO!" Doyle yelled.  
  
"We flew!"  
  
"WE FLEW! YES! I'm a pilot!" Doyle and Angel jumped up and down. "We flew! We flew!" Suddenly Doyle was jerked back by a strong hand.  
  
"You no cap'in boy!" Doyle's father yelled. "I done told you.. You spend time playin' with this stupid boy.. Can't read. You ain't never gonna amount to nothin'!"  
  
"Daddy! He ain't stupid daddy! Daddy!"  
  
Doyle's father backhanded his son and Doyle went flying to the ground. "Come on! Get on back home!"  
  
Angel had had enough. He ran back to the barn and took the 2x4 propeller off the front of their "plane" and ran after Doyle and his father.  
  
"Get on up! You got work to do!" Doyle's father kept yelling. "Come on! Come on! Get on home!"  
  
Angel pulled the propeller back and slammed it down on Doyle's dad's back. The man fell to the ground. "You let him alone!" Angel yelled.  
  
"Daddy no!" Doyle yelled as his father tried to get back up.  
  
"I will bust you open you dirty German!"  
  
"What'd you call me?" Doyle's father asked. "I fought the Germans in France. And I fought em in the trenches. And I pray to God that no one ever has to see the things I saw." Doyle's father stared at the two boys a moment longer and then started to walk off. Doyle stood and looked at Angel. "You're my best friend." Angel stared at him and nodded. Doyle took off after his father. "Daddy wait!" He ran off after his father. Angel watching him go.  
*Long Island - January, 1941*  
Angel and Doyle were now 24 and 23 year olds and they were pilots now. Angel was tall and very handsome. Doyle wasn't as tall as Angel was, but he was still pretty tall. He was also good looking, but he never used it to his advantage like the rest of the guys. Right now, they were flying their planes over the airbase.  
  
"All right, Doyle. Now let's show 'em how to fly. We're gonna play chicken. You ready?" Angel asked.  
  
"This ain't the farm, and these ain't no crop dusters. I'm not playin' chicken with you." Doyle said.  
  
"Now don't be a baby. I'll tell you what.."  
  
"I'm not gonna do it Angel."  
  
"Well, I'm coming right at you. You can turn or you can hit me. It's up to you." Doyle rolled his eyes. "Why you always bustin' my ass, Angel? Which way you going?"  
  
"I guess I'll go right. No, uh, left. I'll go left."  
  
"Ok, we're going left, right?"  
  
"Ri.. uh, right. Right?"  
  
"Right like we're going right, or right like we're going left?"  
  
"Well, now you got me all mixed up! I don't know make up your mind!"  
  
The planes were getting dangerously close now. "God, Angel, we're going right! Righty-tighty!"  
  
The planes swerved and just barely missed each other. The guys below watching were blown away by the force of the wind and they cheered. Doyle and Angel were laughing. The minute they were out of their planes though, they were being sent to Doolittle's office. Angel cursed his way up there and then cursed some more on the way in. Doolittle called him in and Angel stood straight up like he had been trained to do.  
  
Doolittle circled him. "After two years of training do you believe that a forty-five thousand dollar airplane is there for your amusement?"  
  
"No, sir. I was just trying to keep my edge, Major." Angel replied.  
  
"And when you did the outside loop last week, what did you think that was? Honing your skills? That's not training, McCawley, that's a stunt. And I personally consider it to be reckless and irresponsible."  
  
"Major.." Angel was at a loss for a moment. He glanced over at Doolittle's trophies and an idea struck him. "How can that be when you're famous for being the first man  
  
in the world ever to do it?"  
  
"Don't get cute with me, son."  
  
"No, sir, I don't mean to be disrespectful. I just think that.. Well, I.. It is reckless and irresponsible if you're just doing it to be a showoff, but.. I was doing it to try to inspire the men, sir, the way you've inspired me. I believe that the French even have a word for that.. When the men get together to honor their leaders. They call it an homage, sir."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"An homage, sir."  
  
"That's bullshit, McCawley! But it's very, very good bullshit."  
  
"Thank you, sir."  
  
Doolittle clicked his teeth and stepped away. Angel sagged in relief. "McCawley, you remind me of myself fifteen years ago. Which is why we need to discuss this." He held up a letter. "Have a seat, son." Angel sat down and watched as Doolittle opened the letter.  
  
"The British have accepted you into the Eagle Squadron. You're on your way tomorrow if you still want to go."  
  
"Huh. Wow."  
  
"Just a few British pilots are all that stand between Hitler and total victory in Europe. They're gonna need all the help they can get."  
  
"Yes, sir. Well, I'm on my way."  
  
"Just for the record I'm supposed to ask you to reconsider."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
Doolittle dropped a newspaper on the desk. The headline was about the U.S.'s advancing involvement in the war. "Sooner or later we're gonna be in this war whether we like it or not. And I'm gonna need all of my best pilots. So it's my duty to ask you to stay."  
  
Angel paused. "Major.. What would you do?"  
  
"If it was me.. I'd go."  
  
"Sir, permission to be dismissed."  
  
"Granted. But no more stunts out of you."  
  
"Yes, sir." Angel walked out of the office and Doyle followed him outside.  
  
"What's going on?" Doyle asked. "What'd Doolittle say?"  
  
"He, uh.. He had an assignment for me." Angel said, looking away from his best friend.  
  
"Assignment? What do you mean?"  
  
"I'm going to war with the Eagle's Squadron in Britain."  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Come on, guys! We got nurses waitin'." William, also known to his friends as Spike, yelled.  
  
"Come on, before the rest of his hair falls out." Riley said.  
  
"How could you do this?" Doyle asked.  
  
"Well, Doolittle assigned me. He wanted me to get some real.. Some real combat training in." Angel said.  
  
"Well, guess what? It's not training over there. It's war. Where losers die and there aren't any winners. Just guys who turn into broken down wrecks like my father."  
  
"Yeah, I understand that, Doyle. But I feel like I got a duty to go."  
  
"Don't preach to me about duty, damn it. I wear the same uniform you do. Now if trouble wants me, I'm ready for it. But why go looking for it?"  
  
"Danny, come on. I'm gonna be twenty-five. I might as well be an old man. They're gonna have me being a flight instructor. I don't wanna teach loops and barrel rolls. I wanna be a combat fighter."  
  
"Hey, come on! The nurses cant dance by themselves." Xander called from the bus.  
  
"Let's go." Angel said.  
  
*Train car later that evening.*  
  
"If the call of duty means seeing a hundred and fifty men in their underwear everyday, we are here to serve." Cordelia said.  
  
"I can't believe it." Willow said. "Saturday night in New York City. Do you know what they're doing where I come from?" Buffy, Willow's best friend, shook her head. "Nothing. Cow tipping."  
  
"Well, that's why you joined the Navy, hun. Get out of that dusty little town and see the world."  
  
"May I remind you, Cordelia, we're Navy nurses, not tourists." Fred said.  
  
"I joined to do my patriotic duty. And.. To meet guys." Anya said.  
  
"Me too!" Willow agreed.  
  
"Girls, we're going to have so much fun tonight in the city." Buffy said.  
  
"You've got to tell them the story, Buffy!" Cordelia said.  
  
"What?" Anya asked.  
  
"Oh, come on. Tell us." Willow said.  
  
"Oh, it's such a long story." Buffy protested.  
  
"We got time." Anya said.  
  
"I saw it happen." Cordelia boasted.  
  
"Well, it was all about four weeks ago.."  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Xander walked by Doyle and Angel rubbing his butt as the two men waiting for the eye exam. Angel looked at Xander and smiled. "Hey, Xand, you all right?"  
  
"Eye exam number four?" Buffy called out.  
  
Angel and Doyle headed towards the eye exam station. Angel looked over as a man said, "Listen, Doc, I have passed a dozen medical checks. You write that they won't let me fly."  
  
"Sorry son." The doctor said as he stamped a Rejected stamp down.  
  
Angel's eyes widened. "I'm gonna fail. They're gonna take my wings away."  
  
"No they won't. Just relax." Doyle said.  
  
"Read the bottom line, please." Buffy said to the pilot in front of Angel.  
  
"Just keep practicin' the bottom line. And don't worry. I'm right behind you."  
  
"J-L-M-K-P-O." Angel muttered to himself.  
  
"Thank you. Next." The beautiful blonde nurse said.  
  
The pilot handed Angel the eye cover and walked away. Angel gave Buffy his file. "Ma'am. J-L-M-L-P-O-E-T-X." Angel said in a rush. "Eyes like an eagle, ma'am."  
  
Buffy looked up at him suspiciously. "Slow down, flyboy. And, instead of the bottom,  
  
read the very top. Both eyes."  
  
"Yeah. C.. Sorry, J. Ahem. C.."  
  
"W." Doyle whispered behind him.  
  
"W."  
  
"Q."  
  
"Uh, Q, uh.. Q."  
  
Buffy looked up at him. "Read the bottom line again, please. But read it right to left and every other letter."  
  
"E.. X." Angel said.  
  
"X, E!" Doyle said behind him.  
  
"X, E, X, E, ma'am." Buffy looked up at him skeptically. "Ma'am, I know how this looks."  
  
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I really am. But Army and Navy requires 20/20 vision." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh, I-it's-it's not a problem with my eyes. I mean, I can see. I mean I can hit a running rabbit with a three-dollar pistol. I got a problem with letters, that's all."  
  
"Well, maybe after some schooling you could come back and take the test again."  
  
"No, I had schooling. I mean, I.. The teachers just never knew what to make of it. It's just letters. I mix em up sometimes. That's all. I mean, I just get 'em backwards sometimes." Buffy looked doubtful. "L-look here. Uh, my.. My math and.. And special reasoning and my verbal scores are all excellent."  
  
"But you barely passed the written exam."  
  
"Yeah, but he did pass it. So, is it my turn now?" Doyle asked, trying to get Angel off the hook.  
  
"No, you'll wait your turn." Buffy said.  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Ma'am, I-I'm never gonna be an English teacher. But I know why I'm here. To be a pilot. And you don't dogfight with manuals. You don't fly with gauges. I mean, it's all about feeling and speed and lettin' that plane become like a part of your body. And that manual says that a guy who's a slow reader cant be a good pilot. That file says I'm the best pilot in this room." Angel leaned closer. "Ma'am, please, don't take my wings."  
  
*Back on train.*  
  
"Well, I felt so bad." Buffy said. "I had no choice. I passed him." The girls giggled and smiled. "I was rotated to station three just after I did. I wasn't over there more than five minutes before this cocky pilot comes back."  
  
*Flashback* (^ ^ these around a phrase means it's a voice over. We're pretending that this is the movie.)  
  
"Say, fella, you enlisted?" Angel asked the young man sitting down.  
  
"Yeah." The guy responded.  
  
"'Yeah'? Boy, you're talking to an officer."  
  
The boy stood up straight at attention. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."  
  
"Give me that file."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Parade rest."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Angel walked over to Buffy who was sitting by the medical cart. "Ma'am, I didn't get a chance to thank you."  
  
"Drop your skivvies."  
  
Angel's eyes widened a bit, but he bent over the table and lowered his skivvies. "Uh, ok. Just like this?"  
  
"That's fine." ^He did have a very cure butt.^  
  
"You know, I know you didn't have to pass me and you did. And I just.. I didn't think you'd understand, and you did."  
  
"You know, you still haven't said thank you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
"Why'd you do it? I mean, I'm just curious. You're like my hero now."  
  
"Actually, my father was a pilot. And, um, I've seen firsthand what happens when a pilot loses his wings." Buffy applied the alcohol-soaked cotton to Angel's backside, then reached for the needle.  
  
"You know what? Your father's my hero, then, too. In fact, as an officer, I think it'd be my duty to take my new hero's daughter out tonight. Just to.." She jabbed him with the needle. "Aaahhhhh!"  
  
"Gosh, did I poke to deep?"  
  
"I think you hit the bone there."  
  
^You are so mean.^ Anya said.  
  
"So is.. Is there any chance that you might, kind of, sort of you know, like me, or.." Angel asked.  
  
Buffy smiled and leaned over him. "Oh, how did you guess? They never taught us how to deal with this.. feeling."  
  
"W-What feeling?"  
  
"Well, it's kind of like.. this." She jabbed him with the needle again. Angel yelped in pain. ^Well, he was getting fresh, so I poked him again.^  
  
"All right, Romeo. I want to get this over with." A pilot said from outside the cubicle.  
  
"Hold on a second." Angel turned back to Evelyn. "Miss.. I really, really lick you." Angel smacked himself. "Like you. I didn't mean to say that. And I just, um.. I just want to ask you, please, if I can donate dinner. Or, well, buy you dinner."  
  
Buffy looked over the chart. "This isn't your chart."  
  
"Whoa. No. That's the, uh, this, uh, fellow over here's. I think he left."  
  
"Have you already had this shot?"  
  
"Yeah, well, once.. already. Well, I wanted.. I mean, can I ask you out?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Ok." Just then, Angel toppled over and slammed his nose on the medical cart.  
  
"Oh! What'd you do to him?" Cordelia asked, running in.  
  
^Poor guy.^ Buffy said. ^So, later on.."  
  
Angel was waiting in the shadows as the nurses came down the stairs. He came out of the dark and stopped in front of them, the huge bandage around his nose much more obvious. "Hey!"  
  
"Oh, my God. Are you ok?" Buffy asked as the other girls kept walking.  
  
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. I feel great. This is just standard precautionary.. thing. Look, I got some, uh, genuine French champagne.. from France. I thought, you know, maybe we could celebrate."  
  
"Celebrate what?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Uh, well, you being my hero, for one."  
  
"Ok. Why not?"  
  
Buffy allowed Angel to help her sit on the steps. He handed her two champagne glasses. "So, uh, ahem.. I wanted to thank you. And I just wanted to, uh, put your mind at ease about passing me because I really think you did this country a service. I mean, I'm.. I am a great flier." Angel started to open the cork.  
  
"And if you have a fault, which you obviously don't it-it's modesty."  
  
"No. If I have a fault, it's candor. You are just so.." The champagne cork popped and hit him straight in the nose. Buffy gasped. "Uh, cork just got away from me." He started to pour champagne into the glasses, his shaking hand making the bottle clink against the glass. He groaned and his face crumpled as he started to cry. Buffy tried not to giggle, but it was just too hard to hold in. "God, it hurts. It hurts something fierce." Buffy laughed. "I'm sorry. Ohh.."  
  
"Oh, it's bleeding." Buffy pulled Angel's large form onto her lap.  
  
"God!"  
  
"Lay still." She grabbed a chunk of ice off the ground.  
  
"I ruined everything." She put the ice on his nose. "Ow! It's cold!"  
  
"It'll stop the bleeding."  
  
"I can't breathe!"  
  
"Lay still!"  
  
"You are so beautiful it hurts."  
  
"It's your nose that hurts."  
  
"No, I think it's my heart."  
  
Buffy stared into Angel's eyes and then leaned over to kiss him gently.  
  
*Back on the train.*  
  
"And then I kissed him." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh, Buffy!" Anya said.  
  
"That's the romantic story I ever heard." Fred said.  
  
"It's been the most romantic four weeks and two days of my life." Buffy said dreamily.  
  
"I'm so jealous." Willow said.  
  
The train pulled to a stop at the train station. The girls got off the train and Buffy walked ahead toward Angel who was coming up to them with the rest of his buddies in tow.  
  
"Hello, Lieutenant. It's good to see you." Angel said.  
  
"You, too, Lieutenant." Buffy said with a smile.  
  
"Pick a hand."  
  
Buffy smiled wider and picked his right hand. He held up a beautiful silver ring with a crowned heart held by two hands who's arms made the band of the ring. "It's beautiful. What's in your other hand?"  
  
"Mine." Angel held up the larger ring that was already on his finger. Buffy smiled as he took her hand and gently slipped it on her finger. Buffy laughed and jumped into his arms. He twirled her in the air before setting her down.  
  
"I want you to meet my friends. Angel, this is Anya, Willow, Fred.."  
  
Cordelia popped up and shook Angel's hand enthusiastically. "Hi. I'm Cordelia."  
  
"Hi." Angel said.  
  
"Would you happen to have any friends?"  
  
"Huh. Take your pick." Angel motioned towards the group of guys behind him.  
  
"Hi!" Cordelia said, staring at them all.  
  
*Later at the night club.*  
  
Swing music played as the crowd laughed and talked and had fun. Angel, Buffy, Doyle, and the rest of the group were at a table. Riley was at the bar. Buffy smiled at Angel as he asked her to dance. A slower song came on and Angel gathered Buffy in his arms and they started to sway to the music. All the other guys were occupied except Doyle.  
  
"Doyle seems kinda shy around the girls." Buffy noted.  
  
"It's not that he's shy." Angel said. "He's just.. A little unsure of himself, you know. His old man used to run him down a lot. Get him in a plane, he's sure of himself. He's like my brother. He's like my best friend. He's my right hand."  
  
"Which at the moment is a long way south of my waist."  
  
Angel moved his hand down further. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I lost a little altitude."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you did."  
  
Angel smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Buffy didn't disappoint. They shared a long, passionate kiss before they had to break away for air. Buffy looked up at Angel.  
  
"So, the rumor is the Navy's shipping us to Pearl Harbor." Buffy said.  
  
"Well, it won't be so bad. It's about as from the fighting as you can get. You'll get a suntan." Angel said.  
  
"So maybe the Army'll post you guys there, too."  
  
"Hopefully."  
  
After a long pause, Buffy looked around and then back into Angel's chocolate eyes. "I don't want to be with the crowd tonight. I just want to be alone with you."  
  
"Well.. how does New York Harbor by moonlight sound?" Angel asked.  
  
"Perfect."  
  
"Come on." Angel grabbed Buffy's hand and they ran out of the club. They caught a taxi down to the pier and jumped out, laughing.  
  
"Are you gonna be a bad influence?" Buffy asked as they slipped under the chain and headed down towards a police boat.  
  
"Of course I'm a bad influence. Let's see if we can commandeer this vessel cause we're, uh, officers of the US Government." Angel said.  
  
"Not for long we won't be." They got into the police boat and took off toward the Queen Mary. Buffy laid back in Angel's warm arms. "One day, we'll take a trip on a boat like that."  
  
"Would you like that?" Angel asked, kissing her hair.  
  
"We'll be dressing for cocktails and walk into the grand salon. No one's talking about war. They're just dancing to Cole Porter."  
  
"I'll have to get a tux."  
  
"Yeah." Buffy giggled.  
  
Angel stopped the boat next to a cargo lift. He got out onto the platform and helped Buffy out of the boat. "Come on. There you go. All aboard."  
  
"You're out of your mind!"  
  
"Oh, yeah. Careful now. Here, sit down. Now let's see here." Angel turned the lever to "UP" and the platform started to rise. "Ah! There we go. See, this is as close as I can get you to your ship. So, at least I tried right?"  
  
"Actually, you know what? This is better."  
  
"Yeah, it is. God, you're pretty." The platform stopped high in the air. Angel took Buffy in his arms and kissed her.  
  
"What's gonna become of us all, Angel?"  
  
"Well, the future's not exactly in our hands, is it?"  
  
"No. I guess you're right."  
  
They kissed again. As they got more passionate, Angel accidentally lowered them onto the lever and switched it to "DOWN." The platform dropped immediately and they screamed as they hurtled toward the water, stopping with a splash on the surface.  
  
"Oh, my God! Are you all right?" Angel asked.  
  
"Yeah. Are you?"  
  
"That was not part of the date."  
  
Buffy laughed and helped Angel back onto the platform. They kissed again and then got back on the boat. They walked along, Angel holding her tightly as if to protect her, until they found a cab. They rode back to the hotel and got out.  
  
"Watch your step." Angel said, taking Buffy's hand like a gentleman.  
  
"Oh, thank you." Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy!" Cordelia called.  
  
"Guys, come on up! Come on up! Come up! We're in 321." Doyle called before Cordy smashed her lips onto his and made them both spill their drinks. Buffy laughed at the little display.  
  
Angel clucked his tongue. "He's had some alcohol tonight." They walked towards the hotel, but Angel stopped and pulled them out of the way. "There's something I got to tell you."  
  
"Well, you've got no secrets from me, Lieutenant. I've seen your medical chart." Buffy joked. Angel looked at her uncomfortably. "This can't be good or it wouldn't be so hard to say."  
  
"I got to go away."  
  
Buffy smiled. "We're all going away."  
  
"Yeah.. but I'm going to the war.. tomorrow." Buffy started in surprise. "I'm flying with the Eagle Squadron. It's a outfit the British started for American pilots." Tears started to form in Buffy's eyes. "I don't understand. You're in the U.S. Army. How could they order you to go?"  
  
"They didn't order me. I volunteered."  
  
Buffy pulled away from Angel. "But I passed you. I let you through. And now you  
  
volunteer for the most dangerous place you could go?"  
  
"It's not your responsibility, not your choice. Flying's the only thing I ever wanted to do. I mean, everything in my life has led me up to this point. Meeting you. I love you. I love you so much. Let's go inside." They turned and headed through the swinging doors to the lobby. Just then Angel stopped and steered them back outside. Buffy stared at him in bewilderment. "All right. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Just.. I.. I cant do this." He stopped on the sidewalk. "This just.. it's not right. I'm sorry. I just.. see, I can't do this. I mean, I mean, I CAN. I.. I want to. I'm not trying to be noble, you know. Or not saying I know what would happen or just.. I need to stop talking. I just.. I just don't want it to be like everybody else. I don't want you to have anything about tonight that you regret. I mean, it's been the most incredible night of my life.. and I don't want to ruin that."  
  
"Oh, you couldn't ruin it. If I had one more night to live, I'd want to spend it with you."  
  
"See, that's what I want to come home to. That's what I want to have to think about and dream about. I want to know that the best part of my life is still ahead of me. Look.. don't, um.. could you.. not come see me off? Because, uh..saying good-bye to you once is hard enough."  
  
Buffy stared at him in amazement and then pulled her scarf off. "Here. Take this." She put it around his neck.  
  
"Why? You think it looks good on me?" She smiled sadly. "I will come back."  
  
They kissed goodbye. She pulled away and walked back into the hotel. Angel waved at her through the glass doors. Buffy turned around and walked away, not able to watch him walk away from her.  
  
*Train station the next morning.*  
  
Doyle and Angel walked through the crowded train station. Angel kept searching the place for Buffy. Doyle smirked.  
  
"I thought you said you told her not to come." Doyle asked.  
  
"Yeah, I did." Angel replied, still searching.  
  
"Why you looking for her then?"  
  
"It's my test. If I tell her not to come, and she comes anyway then I.. I know she loves me."  
  
"All aboard! Track 57!" An announcer called.  
  
Doyle and Angel stopped. Angel looked Doyle in the eyes. "If, uh, anything happens to me, I want you to be the one to tell her. All right?"  
  
"You just make sure and come back for the both of us, all right?" Doyle said.  
  
"Ok. See you when I get back." Angel walked away, leaving Doyle alone.  
  
"Yeah. Good hunting, Angel." Doyle said, knowing his best friend wouldn't hear him.  
  
Doyle turned and saw Buffy run into the train station to the counter. The man shook his head and pointed outside where the train lights came on and the whistle blew. She ran outside onto the outdoor track where the train was getting ready to leave. Angel saw her from his seat and knocked on the window.  
  
"Buffy! Buffy! Buffy!" Angel pounded on the window frantically. The noise from the engine and the steam prevented her from hearing him. Dismayed, she turned and walked away. "Buffy! Hey!" The train pulled away and he sat back in his seat. A man sitting next to him looked at him funny. Angel gave him a goofy smile. "She loves me."  
  
*England Air Base*  
  
Angel looked around at the destruction. Bullet holes were everywhere in the planes. He took a deep breath and held tighter to his suitcases as he walked forward towards an officer.  
  
"This is a real mess!" The officer said.  
  
Angel dropped his suitcases and saluted. "Lieutenant McCawley reporting for duty, sir."  
  
"Good. We'll get you settle into your quarters. And then introduce you to the crate you'll be flying."  
  
"Yes, sir." Angel picked up his bags and looked at the planes. "Uh, if y'all are patching up bullet holes right here on the runway maybe we ought to skip the housekeeping and get me in an airplane."  
  
"Two didn't come back, sir." A man said, running up. "We counted only eleven."  
  
Angel was shocked. He wondered if volunteering for this mission was a good idea after all. He had a woman back home that he was in love with and it would devastate her to lose him. The officer looked at him.  
  
"Are all Yanks as anxious as you to get themselves killed, Pilot Officer?"  
  
"Not anxious to die, sir. Just anxious to matter." Angel replied sincerely.  
  
The officer led him to an airplane. "This is yours. Good chap. Didn't die till he'd landed  
  
and shut down his engine."  
  
Angel climbed the stepladder and got a closer look at the plane. The glass in the canopy was splattered with dried blood. He gulped and prayed that nothing like this would happen to him. 


	2. Welcome to Pearl Harbor

Welcome to Pearl Harbor  
Additional Characters:  
  
Owen-Joe  
  
Wesley-Earl  
  
Gooz-Gooz (keeping this character cause he's just funny as crap)  
Buffy stared out over Battleship Row. Thousands of sailors were whistling and yelling at her and her friends. They were on a ferry going through the harbor. Cordelia was basking in the attention of the sailors and Fred was calculating the odds for the girls.  
  
"This is so exciting." Buffy said.  
  
"You know, there's about a hundred ships on Pearl." Fred said.  
  
"But how many sailors per ship?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"It depends. There's more on a battleship than a sub. But say, on average.. Two thousand?"  
  
"Yeah, but then there's the flyers, the marines, base personnel.." Willow said.  
  
"I'm still working on the sailors." Cordy said.  
  
"Girls, I think the odds are in your favor." Buffy said, smiling.  
  
"Yeah, like four thousand to one." Anya said with a smile as she waved at the sailors.  
  
"It's paradise." Willow said, slipping on her sunglasses.  
  
"See ya on the beach, boys!" Cordy yelled, waving. She turned to the girls. "We're in Hawaii!"  
  
Buffy smiled and slipped on her sunglasses. "That we are."  
  
Willow noticed the slight tinge of sadness in her friend's voice and she sat down next to her as the other girls paid more attention to the sailors. "Hey Buff, he'll come back."  
  
"He better."  
  
"He's got two people here in Hawaii that need him to come back. He promised you."  
  
Buffy smiled slightly and looked up at the sailors who waved and whistled. She sighed and turned her face to the sun.  
  
*Air Base, Hawaii.*  
  
"Oh, check out these new recruits." Owen said.  
  
"Hi." Doyle said.  
  
"Alo-ha." Wesley said, saluting.  
  
"Y'all pilots?"  
  
"Uh, we're working on it. It's a lot of switches and stuff." Gooz said. He chuckled as Doyle looked at him strangely. "Pride of the Pacific."  
  
"Who are you?" Wesley asked.  
  
"Terrors of the Skies." Doyle said with a smile.  
*The nurses' house.*  
  
Buffy walked out to the beach and sat down to read Angel's letter.  
  
Dear Buffy,  
  
It's different than I thought I it would be here. It's cold, so cold it goes deep into your bones. There is one place I can go to find warmth. That is to think of you. I just wish I could be back there with you. It's not easy making friends. Two days ago, I had a beer with a couple of the RAF pilots. Yesterday, both of them got killed. I miss you so much. If you see Doyle, please tell him I miss him too. Hopefully this will end soon so I can come home to you and finally start our family together.  
  
Always yours,  
  
Angel  
  
Buffy tried not to cry. Here she was in paradise, yet she was miserable because the man she loved was half a world away from her. Wiping away her invisible tears, she sat back and started to write back to Angel.  
  
Dear Angel,  
  
I miss you so much. It's so strange to be half a world away from you. Every night I look at the sunset and try to draw the last ounce of heat from its long day and send it from my heart to yours. I miss you so much. I was just thinking to myself that I'm in paradise, but I'm miserable because you're not here with me. It's so peaceful here. Everything is so bright and beautiful. I count the days until you come back to me. I will tell Doyle you miss him. He was stationed here at Pearl also. Come home to us.  
  
Forever yours,  
  
Buffy  
*England Air Base*  
  
The air raid siren blared. Everyone started to rush to their planes. Angel ran fast and jumped up on the ladder. Ian ran up to Angel before he could climb into his plane.  
  
"I fixed the hydraulics and electrical system, sir, but the oil hoses still need attention!" Ian said.  
  
"Just crank it, Ian!" Angel said, diving into his plane and preparing himself for take off. They got up in the air and headed towards the battle zone.  
  
"Red section, take the bombers. Blue section, look out for the fighters." An officer said.  
  
"Bombers dead ahead. Let's drop in and give em a reception. Red Two, follow my lead, high side. Go right at the lead bomber." Angel said.  
  
"Following you, Red One." Red Two replied.  
  
They started shooting. The enemy planes were caught by surprise as Angel and the others shot at them.  
  
"Good hit! Good hit! Red One, coming around, reset for the kill. I have the middle bomber." Angel said. He shot at him the enemy plane. "Hammer down!" He hit the plane and it went down. "We got him. Nice shot, Red Two. I got two M.E.s dead ahead. I'm on him. I'm on his tail. Hammer down." He shot and another one went down. "I got one of 'em!" Another bomber came up behind Angel's plane, firing at him.  
  
"Red One, you got fighters all over your tail!" Red Two yelled.  
  
"I'm under fire! I'm taking fire!"  
  
"Red One, get out of there! Pull up! Pull up!" The officer said.  
  
An oil hose snapped and oil gushed into Angel's face. "Argh! I got an oil leak!" Suddenly, a fire emerged from the oil. Angel screamed. "Can't see a damn thing!" He tried to break through the canopy. "I can't bail! My canopy's stuck! I can't bail out!" Angel took out his gun and shot holes through the top of the canopy. He punched through the glass and allowed the smoke to trial out. "He's on my tail, Red Two." The bomber shot him and hit him. "I'm hit! I'm hit!" His plane started spiraling toward the ocean, the dial spinning out of control. "Mayday! Mayday!" He plummeted to the water. "Oh, my God." As Angel's plane crashed into the ocean in a huge crash and disappeared out of view, the lost thought that went through is mind was, "I love you Buffy."  
*Nurses house.*  
  
"I love you Buffy."  
  
Buffy sat up in bed, a scream escaping her lips. "Angel! NO!"  
  
Willow ran over from the bathroom. "Buffy! Are you ok?"  
  
Buffy started to cry. "Oh God!"  
  
"Another dream?"  
  
"It was so real."  
  
"So were all the others." Willow hugged Buffy to her. "Shh, it's ok."  
  
"It was so real. Much more real than the others."  
  
"Shh. Come on, we need to get ready for church."  
  
Buffy wiped away her tears and nodded. She got up and tried to get ready for church. In the bathroom, she started to cry again. Something felt wrong. Something WAS wrong, she just felt it.  
  
Later that day, the girls were walking home from church. Willow was saying something behind Buffy. "I'm no good at church."  
  
"What do you mean, sweetie?" Fred asked.  
  
"Well, whenever I'm up there getting my slate wiped clean, I can't help but think of how I'm gonna dirty it up again."  
  
"Wow, this from a virgin." Cordy said.  
  
"I've got inventory supplies to do." Buffy said, breaking away from the others.  
  
"Kill me now. Could you be anymore boring?" Anya called.  
  
"Don't bother. Sunday she writes Angel. Ten pages instead of the usual five." Willow said.  
  
"Gosh, I wish I was in love." Cordy said.  
  
A car honked and drove up to them. Xander and Riley were inside. Riley looked up at Fred. "Hey, sweetheart." Fred gave him a halfhearted wave. "She hates me." He muttered to Xander who wasn't listening.  
  
"Good to see you, Xander." Willow said, walking up to the car.  
  
"Sure good to see you, too, Willow." Xander said. "What are you doing? You wanna come for a ride?" Willow nodded. "Come on." Willow nodded and Xander hopped into the backseat.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be your chauffeur." Riley muttered as he drove off.  
  
*Nurses' office.*  
  
Buffy was patching up Dorie's split eyebrow. "How'd you get this?"  
  
"Boxing." Dorie said.  
  
"Did you win?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"What do you get for winning?"  
  
"Respect."  
  
Buffy finished stitching him up and cut the wire. Dorie stood up and she walked him to the door. "So why do you have to fight with your fists to get respect?"  
  
"I left my momma in Texas and joined the Navy to see the world.. Become a man. They made me a cook. Not even that. I clean up after other sailors eat. Two years, they never even let me fire a weapon."  
  
"Well, let's hope you never have to."  
  
A car pulled up on the road as Dorie said, "Yes ma'am."  
  
"You take care, Petty Officer Miller."  
  
"You, too, ma'am." Dorie put his hat back on and walked away.  
  
Buffy looked up just as Doyle climbed out of the back of the car. He was dressed in his formal uniform. He looked up at her, his face etched in sadness and grief. She stopped, hesitant at the expression on his face, then walked toward him as he walked up the path to her. They stopped a few feet apart. She now understood why he had come. Her face fell and he pulled her to him, she laid her head against his shoulder in shock. Buffy and Doyle stood there in shock, both trying not to cry for the other.  
  
"Come on." Doyle said. He started to walk and she walked next to him, silent tears falling down her cheeks. They walked in silence for the longest time. After a while, they found themselves at a park and they walked over to the fountain and sat down. Doyle looked over at her as tears finally started to fall down his face. "You know, he taught me to fly. I always knew that no matter what trouble I got into I'd never be in it alone. He'd be there with me. Up there, he was always pushing me to be better and faster."  
  
"He told me you were a great flier. It was the same night he told me.. He volunteered to go to England." Buffy said, tears flowing faster.  
  
"Volunteered? He.. He told me he'd been assigned." Buffy offered a small smile. "He was always trying to protect me. But you know.. I look at myself in the mirror in this uniform and I still don't know who I am. I look like a hero.. But I don't feel like it. Angel.. He always looked the part, didn't he?"  
  
"He couldn't wait to be one." Buffy finally gave in and she started to sob. Doyle pulled her into a hug and she cried into his shoulder.  
  
The next day was so hard on Buffy. Doyle and the other pilots that had known Angel called a wake at the Hula-la Bar. It was raining outside, and the pilots and nurses were gathered in the bar, each with a shot glass in their hand. Doyle poured some liquor in a shot glass under Angel's picture, which hung on the wall under a small note reading "Killed in Action." Buffy stood between Cordy and Willow, trying to hold in her tears.  
  
"To Angel McCawley. The best pilot and the best friend I ever knew.. Or ever will know. To Angel." Doyle said. Everyone downed their shots.  
  
It was all too much for Buffy and she practically ran out of the bar. Willow followed her and Buffy made it to the house before she collapsed and started to sob. Willow sat on the floor next to her and Buffy collapsed into Willow's lap, sobbing. Her best friend cried with her. She hated to see Buffy so broken. Willow hadn't realized how deeply in love Buffy was with Angel. After an hour of crying, Buffy got up and went to her bed. She didn't get out of bed for the next couple of days. Willow slept in a bed close to Buffy's. She listened to her friend cry herself to sleep night after night.  
  
A few days later, Buffy walked out onto the porch, her hair wet from the shower. Fred walked up to her with an envelope. "Buffy, I signed for these letters for you today. They're from England."  
  
Buffy took the letters. "They're from Angel."  
  
"I'm sorry, Buffy. You know how long it takes for mail to get here."  
  
Buffy only nodded and stared at the letters as she walked away. She got dressed and walked out to the rocks on the beach that she used to write letters to Angel on. She read each letter carefully. Each one made her depression sink further. A glint caught her eye and she looked down at the ring that Angel had given her. It was the closest thing to a wedding they would ever get. Buffy twisted the ring around her finger, tears starting to fall again.  
  
*3 Months Later.*  
  
Buffy sat in the movie theatre, trying to watch the news. The announcer was talking about peace talks between the U.S. and Japan. Suddenly, the clips changed to footage of planes being shot down. Buffy watched with a fixed expression on her face.  
  
"On the British front, Churchill declares 'Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.'" The announcer said.  
  
It was too much for Buffy and she walked out of the theatre. She was almost to the street when someone called her name. She turned. "Doyle!"  
  
"Hey!" Doyle said.  
  
"Some comedy, huh?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"It's been a while."  
  
"Yeah, I've been logging a lot of flight hours."  
  
Buffy smiled sadly. "I've kind of been avoiding you, too."  
  
They both looked out across the street. "Yeah. Do you.." Doyle said at the same time Buffy said, "Look.."  
  
Doyle smiled. "You wanna..?"  
  
"Sure. Yeah."  
  
Doyle and Buffy walked across the street to a little café. They sat down and stared at the table in silence. After a few minutes, Doyle spoke up.  
  
"I remember one time when I was, like, seven years old. I was always building gadgets and things. Angel told me he wanted me to build him some wings so he could fly like his daddy, dustin' crops. I told him you can't fly without some kind of engine, right? But he  
  
wouldn't listen, you know. He told me 'Doyle, never mind all that, just build 'em anyway.' So I did. And I'm up there strappin' these big ol' wings on his back that we made from paper and glue and these massive silk bloomers that we stole. He looked so stupid, you know, and I told him, 'You can't jump off the barn in these.' And bam!" Doyle smacked his hand on the table. "He busted his leg on the backhoe."  
  
Buffy gave a little laugh and then sighed. "God, I miss him."  
  
"Yeah. But don't you think that Angel wasn't back up there the next day, cast and everything, telling me to make some adjustments on those wings."  
  
Buffy smiled. "Yeah."  
  
Doyle went into a couple of other stories and finally got a couple of good laughs out of Buffy. She was still really sad and uncomfortable though. Doyle could tell. "Am I talking too much? Sometimes I do that. I'm sorry."  
  
"Hold up! Look at this. Hello." Anya said, waving at Buffy from the street outside the window. They all waved at each other. Willow was cuddling up to Xander and smiling like a fool. "Ok, let's get out of here."  
  
"I guess I should go." Buffy said, standing up.  
  
"Don't let it be three months before I see you again, all right?" Doyle said.  
  
"I had a good time."  
  
"Yeah, me too." Doyle stood. "Do you want me to walk you home, or.."  
  
"No, I'll be fine."  
  
"No, of course."  
  
"Good night."  
  
"Good night." Doyle waved at Buffy as she walked off.  
  
Buffy walked into the night, thinking to herself. Doyle was sweet, but did she really like him like that. No. The answer to her question was a big no. He was Cordy's sweetheart and besides, Buffy wasn't over Angel at all. She didn't think she would ever be. Maybe one day she would find someone else, but not right now. Not when the wounds were so easily opened by just seeing her lover's best friend.  
  
The next day at the hospital, Buffy was moving supplies and storing them. The other girls were lounging around on the empty hospital beds. Cordy was the first to see her.  
  
"Did you have fun last night?" She asked a little scornfully.  
  
"It wasn't how it looked." Buffy said.  
  
"And if it was, it'd be all right. It's been months. It's time to move on." Fred said.  
  
"Yeah, but not to my beau." Cordy protested.  
  
"I'm not moving on to your beau. He's just a friend. A friend that I have a hard time looking at. I will move on." Buffy said.  
  
Willow piped up. "Buff, don't lie. All I know is I hear you crying when you think I'm asleep. When my dad left, I was too much for my mom to handle so she sent me to live with my aunt. I thought my life was over, but.. You never know where it's all gonna lead. If I hadn't run away and lied about my age and enlisted in the Navy, I wouldn't have met Xander, and now he's my fiancé!" Buffy smiled in surprise. "Gosh, I can't get used to that word."  
  
"It's only been twelve hours." Cordy said.  
  
"Oh Willow!" Buffy said. She walked over and hugged her friend tightly.  
  
"Little Willow beat us all to the post."  
  
Anya appeared at the end of the ward with a group of new recruits. "And this is ward three. As you can see, no patients. Welcome to Hawaii. Come on, I'll show you the bar."  
  
"Fred, new recruits.. To torture. Come on." They got up and headed for the other nurses. "Excuse me, ladies!"  
  
"Hi!" Fred called.  
  
"We're gonna wait two years until I'm nineteen and Xander can buy me a ring." Willow said. "Angel sent his best friend to tell you so you would be okay, so you can move on. You gotta go on living, Buffy." Buffy nodded and gave Willow another hug. Willow jumped when she saw Xander coming in at the end of the hall carrying a bouquet of flowers.  
  
"Xander! Whoo! Sorry." Willow jumped up and ran over to him, jumping into his arms as Buffy watched.  
  
Later in the day, Buffy went home and gathered the letters from Angel. She took off her ring and put it in the middle of her journal. She put everything in her drawer and shut it. "Bye, Angel."  
  
*A few months later. It's now December 6, 1941.*  
  
Buffy sat at one of the desks and went through some supplies. Outside, someone walked up to the building. Buffy stopped and looked up, but she didn't see Angel watching her through the window.  
  
Over at Doyle's bunk, Doyle was reading a telegram from Angel. "I'm alive. This is the first I could get word out."  
  
Back at the hospital, Buffy walked out, her head down and not seeing what was in front of her. She looked up and gasped when she saw Angel standing before her. Shakily, she reached out and touched him as if making sure he was really there.  
  
"I told you I'd come back." Angel said. Buffy fell against him, crying. "Here, sit down. Sit down, come here." He led to her a nearby bench. "It's okay. It's all right."  
  
Buffy reached out and touched his face. "You're real."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I wished for this everyday."  
  
"I know. Me, too. Every second. So did I."  
  
"I thought you were dead. They said you were shot down in the sea."  
  
"Yeah, I was. I was in the ocean. It was so cold. I missed you. I got picked up by a French fishing boat and I was in occupied France, and I couldn't get word out. And I'm just.. I'll tell you all about it, I promise. But I'm fine. I'm ok. And I'm here now. Buffy, I just wanted to see you. You're so beautiful." They both leaned in to kiss. "I love you." They started to kiss. It grew so passionate that Buffy had to pull back. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay, Buffy. Buffy, I'm back. It's okay. I won't leave you again, I promise."  
  
"Angel, you died. And so did I."  
  
"I know, but I'm.. I'm.. It's fine now. I'm back. We're together.. I mean, we are together.. Right?"  
  
Buffy nodded and fell into his arms sobbing. "Angel, I thought you were gone. All those months.."  
  
"Shh, I know baby. I know. It's ok. I'm here now."  
  
"I love you Angel. I thought you died without knowing how much I love you."  
  
"I'll always know how much you love me. Buffy, I love you so much."  
  
"Buffy!" Doyle cried as he came running around the corner. "Buffy!" For the first time, Doyle saw Angel. "Angel.."  
  
"Doyle!" Angel stood and the two men embraced.  
  
"I just got your telegram." Doyle looked at Buffy. "Cordy told me you were working late here and I came right over. Guess I didn't need to."  
  
Buffy still sat on the bench, crying. Angel walked back over to her and pulled her up into his arms. She embraced him tightly. Doyle excused himself to the Hula-la Bar and slipped away. Angel took her hand and led her to the nurses' house. She allowed him to take her, still crying and half in shock. No one was there; they were all out having fun on the town with their sweethearts. Angel sat her down on the couch on the covered patio and hugged her tightly to him. They sat there in the dark, two lovers that had been hopelessly separated. She cried out all of her frustrations and tears of joy as he held her to him. After a while, she pulled away and looked down at his uniform.  
  
"Oh, I got you all wet." Buffy said, wiping away her tears.  
  
"It's ok. It'll dry." Angel said, wiping at the wet spot.  
  
"Here." Buffy reached out and started to undo the buttons on his jacket. Her hands were shaking as she slowly worked her way down. Their eyes met and both of them knew that this was the night they were going to be together.  
  
With that realization, their lips met in a slow and passionate kiss. Buffy's shaking hands finally got the buttons undone and she slid the jacket off, sliding closer to Angel in the process. He reached out to her and slid his hands over her breasts and started to undo her shirt's buttons. She brought her hands to his and helped him undo the buttons. He worked slowly, not wanting to spoil anything. Buffy untucked her shirt from her skirt and he slid the material down her arms and let it drop to the floor. She gasped as his warm hands slid over her ribs and fanned out over her back. She moved onto his lap and straddled him, pulling his white undershirt over his head.  
  
Buffy had never seen Angel's bare chest before. He was just as muscular as she had imagined. She splayed her hands over his hard abs and rubbed her way up his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as he leaned in to kiss her chest. With a soft flip, Buffy was laying below Angel, breathing just as heavy as he was. She watched as he moved down her legs and took her shoes and stockings off. Not wanting to miss a beat, Buffy arched up and unzipped her skirt. He gently slid it off of her and dropped it on top of her blouse before undoing his pants and stepping out of them. Now they were both in their skivvies. Angel perched between her legs and stared down into her eyes.  
  
"Are you sure?" Angel asked.  
  
"Yes. I've never been more sure in my life." Buffy said.  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
With one swift movement that Buffy had no idea how they pulled off, their skivvies were gone and Angel was gently pushing into her as he kissed her neck. She felt herself stretching to accommodate him and as he pushed in further, she felt a sharp pain and realized Angel had just pushed past her barrier, taking her virginity. Buffy gasped with the pain that came with every gentle push. Eventually, the pain started to subside and the pleasure took over her body. She started to respond to Angel's movements, arching up into him and kissing him. It was like nothing either of them had ever felt when they climaxed together. It was ecstasy, heaven, pure happiness, passion, fear, love, grief, and anger all rolled into one moment. After wards, they gazed into each other's eyes, both shaking uncontrollably, with nothing but love for the other. Everything was perfect. Nothing could ruin the moment. Nothing except the morning after, that is. 


	3. A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

A Date Which Will Live in Infamy  
*December 7, 1941*  
  
Buffy laid wrapped in Angel's arms the next morning. He looked down at her beautiful sleeping form and smiled. She shifted in his arms and laid her head on his chest. Angel drifted back off just as a plane flew over head. Buffy groaned and Angel muttered, "Why the hell's the Navy doing practice this early on a Sunday?"  
  
Buffy muttered something and started to drift back off, burrowing under the covers. Suddenly, they heard more planes and then a loud explosion coming from the harbor. Both of them sat up and quickly got dressed before running outside to see what had happened. They watched as hundreds of planes stormed Battleship Row. Buffy and Angel watched the direction they were headed and were shocked at the sight of Battleship Row in ruins. Behind them, Fred, Willow, Cordelia, and Anya ran outside, just getting dressed, to see what was going on. Buffy and Angel watched aghast as the bombs kept pelting the ships. Doyle pulled up fast in his black convertible.  
  
"Angel man! Come on! We need you!" Doyle yelled.  
  
Buffy looked at Angel and then at Battleship Row. Angel looked down at her. "Buffy.."  
  
"Go! I have to get to the hospital." Buffy said. Angel nodded and the two shared a too short kiss before he ran off. Buffy turned to the girls. "Everybody to the hospital!"  
  
As Angel sped off with Doyle, he looked up to see more planes. "They look like Japs."  
  
"I didn't even know the Japs were sore at us!" A guy with a camera said from the backseat.  
  
"Doyle, just get me to a goddamn airplane!" Angel yelled. The photographer aimed his video camera at the planes flying. "Holy God."  
  
"This is good footage. Did you see that? Holy cow!"  
  
"I hope there's still an airfield left." Doyle said.  
*Hospital*  
  
Buffy and her friends ran towards the hospital as fast as they could go. The Japanese planes were shooting at them and dropping bombs. Buffy was terrified, but her instinct had taken over and she was now trying to make it to the hospital alive. A plane started to shoot right behind Buffy and Willow and they dived behind the fountain. There was a loud explosion and then Buffy poked her head up. Seeing that they had a small chance to keep running, Buffy grabbed Willow's hand.  
  
"Come on! Let's go! RUN!" Buffy shouted.  
  
*Airbase*  
  
Doyle drove up to the airbase that was under heavy fire. Planes that had been bombed now sat in fiery ruins on the field. Angel was the first out of the car. As soon as he was out, he dove in front of it because a plane was aiming its guns at them. Angel grabbed Doyle's shirt and yanked him down next to him. A plane near the car exploded and Angel took off running, Doyle right behind him.  
  
"Come on!" Angel yelled. As more explosions sounded, they dove behind a jeep. Angel watched as the airfield was blown to bits. "Doyle, get me to a damn plane!"  
  
"Come on!' Doyle yelled. He grabbed Angel's shirt and drug him backwards.  
  
*Hospital*  
  
Buffy ran in behind a few injured people. She called out for a doctor and he motioned to her. "Get to the supply room!" Buffy yelled, running towards a door. They ran in and started to unload supplies. "Get everything out!" She, Willow, Fred, and Cordy started to load up on supplies. They ran into Ward 3 with carts full of supplies.  
  
"We got incoming!" A doctor yelled.  
  
An explosion rocked the hospital. Buffy screamed and grabbed onto the falling glass containers. She looked at the terrified patients. More doctors and nurses ran in.  
  
"Cut em down!" The head doctor said. "Come on! Come on! Get em away from the windows!"  
  
Buffy grabbed a razor and ran over to each bed, cutting the gauze holding them up. Their broken limbs crashed onto the bed, causing them to scream in pain. The doctors and nurses started to toss patients against the wall and grab onto the mattresses. They threw them over top of the downed patients and then Buffy crawled under one herself. A bomb dropped just outside of the windows and everything exploded. The place turned dark and Buffy screamed, wondering for the first time if she was going to make it out of this mess. Pushing away her fears, Buffy emerged from the mattress coughing. She headed towards the doctors who were helping to move the patients.  
  
*Air Base*  
  
Angel and Doyle ran towards the main building of Hickam Airfield that hadn't been hit yet. There were soldiers shooting at the planes with their machine guns. Angel and Doyle yelled for them to hold their fire as they ran into the building.  
  
"Go! Get down now Doyle!" Angel yelled as he ducked behind a large pole. "OH! SHIT!"  
  
Doyle ran over to the phone and dialed a number. "This is Walker! We need to get those planes fueled and loaded, right now!"  
  
"What's goin on out there huh?" Gooz asked from under the desk.  
  
"I think World War 2 just started."  
  
"DOYLE! DOWN!" Angel yelled as an explosion blew the wall inward. Angel looked up to see that Doyle was on the ground. "Doyle! Doyle! Doyle, are you all right?"  
  
"I'm all right! Come on, let's go!"  
  
"Come on! Come on!"  
  
"Come on Gooz! Get a move on man!"  
  
Angel, Doyle, and Gooz ran back out onto the airfield through the gaping hole in the wall. More explosions sounded everywhere as Angel and Doyle ran for Doyle's car. "Go! Go! Come on!" Soldiers followed suit and piled into the car. "Get in! Come on!" Doyle started the car. "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" Once they were driving, Angel looked at Doyle. "Where's this place we're going?"  
  
"We got a small mechanic runway about 10 minutes away. Hadn't been hit yet." Doyle said.  
  
Angel looked around as seven planes trailed the car. He knew what was coming and he screamed, "Duck! Everybody duck!" As expected, the planes shot at the car. Bullet holes were torn into the metal and glass. Angel peeked at the windshield where his head had been moments ago and saw the bullet hole. It reminded him of the first time he had seen his plane in England. "Oh God! SHIT!"  
  
*Hospital*  
  
Buffy was surrounded by burnt, shot, bleeding, cut, wounded people. She helped them as best she could. She called for morphine for one man and then she ran out into the hallway. "Fill up the kitchen! Fill up the kitchen! There's no room in the main room. Fill up the kitchen. Use whatever space we have!"  
  
"Neck wound! We got a bad neck wound over here." Someone yelled. (Ironic huh?)  
  
Buffy ran over and looked at the man. "Surgery! Move! Come on, we gotta get him to surgery. Oh! In here." They moved the man into surgery and Buffy held tightly to his hand while putting pressure to his neck. "DOCTOR!" When no one came, Buffy closed her eyes and breathed for a moment. She looked down at the man and pulled the gauze pad away. Blood spurted everywhere.  
  
"Am I gonna die? Am I gonna die? Am I gonna die? NURSE!" the man screamed.  
  
Buffy grimaced and put two fingers together. She closed her eyes and guided her fingers into the man's artery, plugging the wound as best she could. "Doctor get over here! My fingers are plugging his artery. Doctor, what do you need? Doctor? Focus. Look at me. What do you need?"  
  
"Hemistich." The doctor said.  
  
"Hemistich." Buffy pulled her fingers away and moved to get what the doctor needed. She came back and looked at the man. "All right. Look at me. You're gonna be all right. You're gonna be all right."  
  
*Mechanic Runway*  
  
Doyle drove up. "Wesley! We gotta go!"  
  
"Yeah.. Mostly ready, but.." Everyone stopped and looked up as planes started to fly over head.  
  
"Get down!"  
  
"Shit! Take cover!" Angel yelled. They ran into the warehouse. Wesley started to shoot at the planes.  
  
"Wesley! Get in here!" Doyle yelled.  
  
"Hey! Sergeant! They come back around, we're gonna need more than a shot gun." Angel yelled. "You got any other weapons and ammo so we can lay out some cover fire?"  
  
"Yeah, inside that ammo locker." Wesley said.  
  
"Come on!"  
  
"Let's go! Move it!"  
  
The men started to move and gather ammo. Doyle and Angel ran back over to the doorway. "You said the planes are mostly ready but. But what?" Doyle asked.  
  
"Well, she's down, she's broke, she's shit. I got four left. One's good to go, two need ammo, one needs fuel."  
  
"Fall out and load up in the bunker." Angel said, slinging a cadre of bullets across his shoulder. "Go! Move!"  
  
The men ran over to a pile of sandbags and ducked down, waiting. Doyle looked over. "Ok, Riley, Xander, you guys are gonna stay here and man the 50 caliber. Gooz, you get over to the next bunker and lay down some cover fire. All right?"  
  
"Planes." Gooz whispered. He locked the 50 cal. "Should we fire?"  
  
"Stay down! Stay down! No!" Angel said, putting his hand on the gun. "Stay down, hold your fire God damn it. Stay still. Nobody fire. They don't know we're here. Stay down."  
  
"Should we fire?"  
  
"No, no, no, no! God damn it, they don't know we're here. Just stay down. Stay still. Don't fire." Angel held tightly to his gun and watched the planes fly away.  
  
"I don't see any ordinates." The photographer said. "I think they're goin home."  
  
"No, they'll be back. We still got planes on the ground. All right you pilots, listen up. Get all the air speed you can comin' off the runway. Don't get on the stick till you get to the very end. When you get in the air, stay low between the buildings. You see any zero on your tail, try to wipe him off, DON'T FREEZE. All right, just keep movin'. We gotta try to break em up and separate em."  
  
"That way we can take em out one by one." Doyle said.  
  
"Right. B-40s can't outrun zeros. So don't try. We're just gonna have to out fly em."  
  
"We got high level bombers! They're gonna bust this hanger wide open!" Wesley called. "Grab the 50s and let's move!"  
  
Angel and the other men jumped out and ran for the bunkers. "Move! GO!" Angel looked up. "Zeros!" He started firing his machine gun at the planes. "Take cover! Take cover!" A barrage of bullets shot right through the parade of men. Doyle fell to the ground, shooting his gun for all he was worth. "Doyle!"  
  
Doyle saw the photographer lying dead on the ground. He pulled him over. "Come on!"  
  
"Leave him! He's dead!" Angel grabbed Doyle just as the plane hanger was bombed. The explosion knocked the men off their feet and sent them sprawling to the ground. "Ah shit!" Angel looked up and saw that Wesley was leading the men to the planes. He got up with Doyle by his side and they took off towards their planes. Angel slimbed in and started to gear up.  
  
"Knock em dead!" Xander said.  
  
"Xander, get out of here God damn it! I'm all right. Go! Go!" Angel started his plane and looked to find Doyle. "Go! Get out of the way!" He yelled at the pilot blocking him in the bunker. Joe finally moved and got out on the runway. Angel and Doyle watched in horror as the three zeros behind him shot him down and the plane exploded. Angel looked away. "Shit!" He looked over at Doyle who looked scared to death. "Doyle. You start that thing up and get in the air. Now I'm not much good without a wing man. I need you."  
  
"I gotcha!" Doyle said back. "Let's ride!" Doyle and Angel pulled out and headed for the runway at an angle. "It's real tight Angel! It's real tight! Hey Angel! I'm not sure we got enough runway!"  
  
"Get your airspeed up before you leave the dirt!" Angel said.  
  
"Don't freeze! Don't freeze!" The two planes took off and headed towards the warehouses. "I don't think I'm gonna make it up over this building!"  
  
Angel grunted and growled with excursion as he pulled on the stick. The planes flew up over the building, narrowly missing it. "We did it! I'm up!"  
  
"We got zeros behind us Angel!"  
  
"How many you see back there?" Angel ducked the flying bullets.  
  
"We got five on our six."  
  
"Take it down to the deck Doyle, now!" They flew low to the ground, but the zeros kept coming. "We gotta split em Doyle! You take left, I'll take right." They flew head on towards the tower and at the last moment, split. "Wesley, you better get some God damn guns up in that tower over there." Angel looked around. "Doyle, I got three on my six." The zero directly behind him started shooting. Angel flapped back and forth, dodging the bullets. Another gun from the ground started shooting and the plane smashed into an oil tower. "Woo!"  
  
"I still got two behind me Angel!"  
  
"AHHHHH!" Angel yelled as he brought the plane close to the buildings. Bullets kept flying at him. "Son of a bitch! WHOOOOA! Wesley do you hear damn it? Get some guns in that tower!"  
  
"Angel! They're all over me! I can't get em off me!" Doyle yelled.  
  
"Doyle, I still got three on my tail. Keep shakin' it, don't let em get a handle on you."  
  
"I can't shake em Angel!"  
  
"Damn it." Angel looked around him. "Doyle, let's play some chicken with these Jap suckers!"  
  
"All right. I'm with ya! I'm coming right at ya Angel."  
  
"Don't break till I tell you. Hold on! Not yet! Not yet!"  
  
"Come on! Come on!"  
  
"Go left! NOW!" Angel pushed hard left at the same time Doyle did. He zeros didn't expect it and they slammed into each other. "Woo! We got em!"  
  
"Woo! HAHAHA!"  
  
"Wesley, I got one on my tail. I'm gonna bring him right by you. You better be cocked and locked when I come by there!" Angel looked behind him and saw he plane go down in a huge explosion. "Woo! Good shootin' boys! Nice shot Wesley! Now let's head over to Battleship Row!"  
  
"I'm with ya!"  
  
Angel and Doyle flew through the smoke and headed out over the water. Angel looked over at Doyle. "Let's go do some business."  
  
"I'm goin after em." Doyle shot at one of the zeros and the plane exploded. "Angel! I got him!"  
  
"I'm pullin up in the clouds, Doyle. We ain't gonna let these sons of bitches get home! How do you like it when someone's shootin back at ya?" Angel chased a zero through the air. He barrel rolled and started firing. "Oh, I'm on your ass now!" The plane's wing flew off and the plane exploded. "Yeah! I got one!" Angel headed off to find more zeros or possible Doyle. He found a zero first. Angel chased after him relentlessly. "I got you, you son of a bitch!" The plane went down. Angel started to head after another, but they retreated away. "Let's go home Doyle. I got me a woman to find."  
  
"All right Angel. Let's go."  
  
Doyle was the first to land. He climbed out of his plane and looked over at Wesley. "Who taught you how to fly, Lieutenant?" he asked.  
  
Doyle looked over at Angel climbing out of his plane. "He did."  
  
Wesley nodded at Angel who nodded back.  
  
*Hospital*  
  
"You're not gonna die!" Buffy yelled over and over. The doctor behind her yelled for amputation. He yelled for Fred to start marking them for morphine. She brought out a pen, but it wouldn't mark.  
  
"Buffy, you got a marker?" Fred called.  
  
Buffy ran over to her purse. "Uh.. Um, use my lipstick. Put M for morphine."  
  
"Buffy we need a truncate!" The doctor yelled.  
  
"Truncate?" Buffy ran over to look for one, but didn't find one. "There's nothing left!" She looked down and took off one of her stockings.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
"Here, use this."  
  
"I need you to go outside. There's too many to help. You gotta sort em out. Only those you know can be saved bring in here."  
  
"But I can't."  
  
"No! Please, do it! I need you to do it! Go!"  
  
Buffy ran outside, clutching her lipstick. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of men were swarming the place. More kept coming. All the while, Buffy prayed that none of them were Angel. She scanned the screaming and dying men to see if any were him. Thankfully, none were. Buffy looked over at the nearest doctor. "Don't let any one in without a mark."  
  
"Get back! I told you, stand back!" The doctor started yelling.  
  
"Keep him outside! Keep him outside!" She marked a man that was crying in pain. He was burnt so bad. She told another to wait there.  
  
"Don't touch me you Jap!" One patient yelled. Buffy ran over to him. "Get your hands off me!"  
  
"He's critical!" The doctor said. Buffy nodded and marked him with a C. "Get him into critical!"  
  
"Critical! Front ward." Buffy yelled, pointing. She turned and found a young man about her age crying.  
  
He looked at her. "How.. Bad am..I?"  
  
"You're gonna be just fine sweetheart."  
  
"I don't wanna die."  
  
"No, you're not gonna die. Sweetheart, I got your hand." Buffy marked him with an F. She looked up at the man carrying him. "Give him enough morphine to make him comfortable, he's not gonna make it." The man nodded and headed away. Buffy ran over to more men. "We've got a critical! Get him up to the ward! Get the morphine's over there."  
  
An man ran up to her carrying a girl. "I just found her. I don't think she's breathing." Buffy checked the girl's pulse. There was none. "No, she's dead. Take her." Buffy pulled the girl's hair out of her face and discovered it was Anya. Fred ran up and saw her too.  
  
"Oh God!" Fred cried. Buffy covered her mouth, trying not to cry. "Are you sure Buffy? Did you check her one more time?"  
  
"She's dead. Take her over there." Buffy said, shoving her emotions aside.  
  
"You've gotta be sure before you just stick her over there."  
  
"Fred! Go back to work, Fred."  
  
"I don't know what to do!"  
  
Buffy embraced Fred before she ran off to mark more men. She stopped though and just looked around. Wounded and dying men surrounded her. Most navy and military, some were just civilians. For a moment, Buffy just let the screaming take over her head because she didn't know what else to do. She had just declared her friend dead. Things were falling apart. The only thing Buffy could think at the moment was: "Is Angel ok? Is he alive and fighting off the Japs? Please let him be alive."  
  
*Hospital Ward*  
  
Angel and Doyle walked down the hospital hallways looking for Buffy. Angel was so worried about her. All he could think was: "Is she alive? She has to be alive. I can't live without her." He looked around at all the dying men. Some were bleeding to death and there were puddles of blood everywhere. Angel looked up and saw Buffy's blonde hair as she turned, two IV poles in her hands. She saw them walking up to her. Buffy sighed and closed her eyes, looking down and thanking God they were both alive. When she looked back up, tears in her eyes, Angel was standing in front of her.  
  
"How can we help?" He asked, placing a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"We need blood. Come on." Buffy led them to a secluded room. One man was laying on a bed convulsing while a preacher gave him his Last Rites. Angel and Doyle sat down and allowed Buffy to set them up. As Buffy finished taping the needle to him, Angel looked up at her. She looked into his eyes and they shared a moment. Buffy was so thankful that he was alive and with her now.  
  
Angel nodded and started pumping his wrist, squeezing the ball in his hand. The blood flowed through the tube and into Coca-Cola bottles. It was all they had left. The priest finished his speech just before the man on the bed died. A man ran in and looked at Angel and Doyle.  
  
"We've got men trapped everywhere in the harbor. We need help from anybody who can move." The man ran out.  
  
Angel looked at Buffy, asking her permission with his eyes. She looked over at him as she took the needle out of Doyle's arm. "Go. Both of you. We can't leave them trapped in those boats." She took the needle out of Angel's arm. He stood and wrapped her in his arms, kissing the top of her head.  
  
"I'll be back, I promise." Angel said.  
  
"I know."  
  
He kissed her on the forehead one last time and then headed out. They got on a boat and were taken to the capsized Oklahoma. Men worked frantically to free the men trapped inside. Angel and Doyle ran up and started to help pry the metal up. One man yelled for their help and the two men headed over to them.  
  
"Get an airline in here!" Another man yelled.  
  
Doyle looked down at the small hole and the hands sticking up through it, desperately grabbing at air. "What can we do?" Angel was the first one to respond. He grabbed onto the nearest hand and held to it tightly. The man grasped back. Doyle did the same and looked up at the other men. "Cut em out!" Suddenly, water bubbled out of the hole and the hands went limp. Angel didn't let go. He felt as if he had failed those men. They worked the rest of the night and through some of the morning before Angel couldn't take the death anymore and headed back to the hospital to be with Buffy. Doyle followed and together, the three of them listened to the president speak to Congress on the radio. (Yes, this is the entire speech. Just thought you guys would like to learn some more history. HAHA)  
  
"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack. It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island. This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation. As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire."  
  
Buffy looked up at Angel as she held his hand. Tears fell freely down both of their faces as they embraced tightly. Everything that had happened still hung fresh in their minds. Now, Angel was going to go away again and fight. Buffy just knew it in her gut that he was going to go away again. Everything in her screamed at him, wanted to hate him for joining the military, but she couldn't hate him. She loved him too much to hate him. So, for the moment, all she could do was hold onto him and cry. 


	4. Retaliation

Retaliation  
*January*  
  
Buffy, Angel, Doyle, and all of their friends stood around Anya's casket. Buffy and the girls were crying and all anyone could do was hold them and comfort them. Through her tears, Buffy saw Dorrie Miller saluting his captain's casket. He saw her and nodded back. Angel excused himself and followed Doyle over to stand out of the way. A man approached them.  
  
"Lieutenants Liam McCawley and Francis Walker?"  
  
Angel and Doyle stood at attention and saluted. "Major."  
  
"You're both going stateside. You fly out in two hours." The Major handed them each an envelope.  
  
"What for sir?" Angel asked, looking at the paper.  
  
"Ask Colonel Doolittle." With that, the Major walked off.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Doyle looked back and saw Buffy staring at them. He nodded and walked away. Angel turned and took Buffy's hand. "Come on."  
  
"What's going on?" Buffy asked.  
  
"We're leaving in two hours. Doyle and I."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Buffy stared at Angel as they drove to his rented bungalow. He started to pack and Buffy decided to help him. When they were done, Angel sat down and read through the letter in the envelope. Buffy watched him.  
  
"Orders." Angel said.  
  
"What kind of orders?" Buffy asked.  
  
"The top secret kind."  
  
"The dangerous kind."  
  
"We've been assigned to Doolittle."  
  
"You're going?"  
  
"I have to."  
  
"Why? You know that if it's top secret, you might not be coming back. Why would you do this to me? Why would you go off and possibly die.. Again?"  
  
"Orders, Buffy. You know exactly what that means."  
  
"Yeah I do. But you have a choice, right? When you get there, you'll have a choice whether you take this mission or not."  
  
"You know what I'll choose."  
  
"So don't go."  
  
"I have to." With that, Angel walked into the bathroom and shut the door.  
  
Buffy hung her head and walked out into the sunshine. She sat down on the chair for about an hour, writing a letter. When she stood back up and went to leave, she almost ran right into Doyle.  
  
"Hey." Doyle said.  
  
"Hi Doyle."  
  
"Everything ok?"  
  
"No." She started to walk off, but Doyle stopped her.  
  
"Hey, stop. Wait. Are you ok?"  
  
"You're going too, aren't you?"  
  
"I have to."  
  
"Angel said the same thing."  
  
"It's not just about this, though, is it? There's something else."  
  
Buffy looked up into Doyle's eyes. "I'm pregnant."  
  
"What?"  
  
"With Angel's baby. Please don't tell him though."  
  
"You haven't told him?"  
  
"I just found out yesterday. Please don't tell him. All he needs to do is think about this mission and get back alive."  
  
Doyle nodded and hugged Buffy. "You know, told me that you kept him alive. When he was in that water, he made a deal with God that he wouldn't ask for anything else just as long as he could see you one more time. He told me it was worth it."  
  
"You won't tell him?" Buffy asked as she pulled away from Doyle.  
  
"I'll leave that up to you."  
  
"Hey Doyle, you ready to go?" Angel asked, walking out to the cab with his suitcases.  
  
"Yeah, just saying bye to your old lady."  
  
Buffy punched Doyle lightly. "I'm not old."  
  
"I can tell."  
  
"Hey, are you two gonna flirt all day, or can we just go?" Angel called. He was obviously dropping into a bad mood and Buffy didn't want to make it worse. She put on her best smile and walked to Angel. She took his hand and he gave her a small smile as they climbed into the cab.  
  
The ride to the airfield was quiet. Either it was nerves from both Angel and Doyle, or it was the secret that Doyle and Buffy knew about that was causing the tension. When they reached the airfield, Buffy was the last out of the cab. She didn't want to send the man she loved on a top-secret mission, but what choice did she have? They weren't married. Doyle hugged Buffy goodbye and got onto the plane. Angel hung back with her. He took her hand and smiled down at her.  
  
"I love you Angel." Buffy said.  
  
"I'm coming back. I promise. I won't ever leave you again." Angel said.  
  
"I know. Angel, I.. You're.. I'll write to you."  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine. I just have a bad feeling about this."  
  
"Hey," Angel cupped Buffy's chin and brought her face up to look at him. "I'm coming back."  
  
Buffy stroked the side of Angel's face. "I know. You better go before I throw myself at your mercy and beg you not to."  
  
Angel pulled her close to him and dipped his head down to kiss her. She clung tightly to his neck and kissed him back with everything she was. If this was to be their last kiss, they both wanted to make it one they'll remember forever. A final call was sounded and Angel let Buffy go. She watched him bored the plane. Before he got in, he stopped and looked back at her. Buffy gave a small wave and turned away, walking back towards the cab.  
  
*Doolittle's Office*  
  
Doyle and Angel walked down the hallway and headed towards Doolittle's office. They were both nervous about what this top-secret mission was all about, but they both knew that they would go no matter what it was. A man led them down through an airplane hanger.  
  
"Follow me." He opened a door. "Colonel."  
  
Angel and Doyle saluted. Angel stood straight and tall. "Congratulations on your promotion sir."  
  
"I heard what you did." Doolittle said.  
  
"Well, we can explain that sir."  
  
"Explain what?"  
  
"Whatever it is you heard about us sir." Doyle said.  
  
"You mean the hula shirts you were flying in? Or the seven planes you shot down? You're both being awarded the Silver Star and promoted to captain."  
  
"Is that the good news, sir. Or, uh.." Angel asked.  
  
"You're just about the only pilots in the army with combat experience. I need you for a mission I've been ordered to put together. You know what top-secret is?"  
  
"Yes sir. It's the kind of mission where you get medals, but they send em to your relatives."  
  
"Top-secret means you train for something never before done in aviation history. And you go without knowing where you're going. You do it on that basis, or not at all."  
  
"I'll go sir."  
  
"I'll go too sir." Doyle said.  
  
"By the way McCawley, the Brits sent this over." Doolittle handed Angel a box. "It's your personal effects."  
  
"Thank you sir." Angel said.  
  
"There's only one more thing I can tell you. Leave your God damn hula shirts at home."  
  
Angel cracked a smile. "Thank you sir."  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
Angel and Doyle left. Angel headed out to the beach and sat down to read the letter that Buffy had slipped into his suitcase.  
  
Dearest Angel,  
  
When I found out you were alive, I was so happy. And now, I'm even happier. I wish you were here with me now so that I may tell you in person, but you're not. You're in the bathroom because I made you mad. I'm so sorry. I hate that I made you mad. You're the love of my life. And now I have two. Angel, I'd hope that you wouldn't find this until after the mission, but I know you all too well. You'll find it before you go on the mission, whatever it may be, and you'll read it and you'll probably still go on the mission, but carry with you this little bit of information: Angel, I'm pregnant. It is your child. That night we made love, the night before the attack, that was the night our child was conceived in love. Now you have to come back to me, to us. I love you my dearest Angel. The only thing I ever wanted for us was to have a home and be happy together. Please write me after you get this and tell me what you think. Be safe.  
  
Forever yours,  
  
Buffy  
  
Angel folded the letter and stuck it back in his pocket. He was in shock. Why hadn't she told him before he left? He would never have gone on the mission if he had known. Of course, she knew that. She had sent him on this mission. Everything in her hadn't wanted him to go, but something in her made her allow him to go.  
  
"I'm assuming that look of shock is because you just got Buffy's news." Doyle said, walking up and sitting on the log Angel was leaning on. "That's her handwriting, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes. Wait, how do you know about Buffy's news?"  
  
"She told me. Before we left, she told me. She wanted to tell you herself, and I guess she did. So what do you think?"  
  
"I think I need to make it through this mission. Whatever this mission is."  
  
"I think you do too."  
  
"Doyle, if I don't.."  
  
"Angel, man."  
  
"No, please. Let me say this. If I don't make it through this, I want you to take care of her and my child. Please Doyle. Promise me."  
  
"I promise man. It'll be all right. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not if I can help it."  
  
*March 3, 1942*  
  
Doolittle marched up to the troops that were lined up and waiting for him. "The mission I'm asking you to volunteer for is exceptionally dangerous. Take a look at the man beside you. It's a good bet that within the next six weeks, you or he will be dead. Everyone brave enough to accept this, step forward."  
  
Angel looked at Doyle and as one, everyone there stepped forward. Doolittle nodded and turned to walk out of the hanger. The men followed close behind. He led them all out to a B-25 and turned back to face them.  
  
"You're grandmother can take a B-25 off on a mile long runway, well, I'm gonna train you to do it in 467 feet. Because at 468 feet, you're dead. And once you get it up, you're going to learn how to fly it like a fighter 30 feet off the ground. I want you to say hello to Lieutenant Jack Richards in Navy Aviation. He's gonna help us lighten these fat ladies here."  
  
Lieutenant Richards stepped forwards and commanded them to follow him. They did as they were told and he assigned them to certain spots on an airplane. He barked orders on what to take out of the plane to lighten her up.  
  
"Dump that out damn it. See that long side? Get rid of it."  
  
Angel sat in the copilot's seat and looked over at Doolittle. "Colonel, he's crazy!"  
  
"This lady's fat!"  
  
"Listen to him." Doolittle said.  
  
"She's a fat lady. We want a skinny lady."  
  
Three hours later, the first plane was on the runway and getting ready to take off. Angel was in the pilot's seat now. "Max power." Angel threw the gearshift into max power and shot off down the runway. The 400 mark approached fast. "Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up!" The plane rolled right past the mark. "God damn it!"  
  
They went back to work on the plane. The next day, Doyle was in the pilot's seat and trying to take off down the runway. It rolled past the line again. Two days later, they were working on the plane even more.  
  
"This armored plating's gotta go!" Lieutenant Richards said.  
  
"Are you sure?" One guy asked.  
  
"I'm sure I'm sure. Now let's go. Lose it like a skirt son."  
  
Near the end of the month, Doyle was in the pilot's seat again. "Release breaks!" The plane started off down the runway. "COME ON! COME ON! COME ON!" The plane rolled right across. "God!"  
  
Angel was standing next to Doolittle watching. Doolittle turned to him. "Put every man on the line, now!" Angel stared after Doolittle and then did as he was told. By sunset every man was standing on the side of the runway. Doolittle had taken the plane and strapped himself into the pilot's seat. The plane got going and then by the time it hit the 400 mark, the front of the plane was heading into the air. Everyone cheered.  
  
Angel looked at Doyle. "Well, if he can do it."  
  
At the end of the week, everyone had a lightened plane and was in the air before they hot the 400 mark. Doolittle stood with Angel watching the planes fly overhead. He started to laugh and Angel did too. They were finally going to get the mission under way.  
  
*April 2, 1942 USS Hornet*  
  
All the planes were lined up on an aircraft carrier and they were at sea. Doolittle stood before them. "Well gentlemen, now I can tell you that we're going to Tokyo.. And we're gonna bomb em." Everyone cheered and clapped. "It comes as a special request directly from President Roosevelt. The Navy is gonna sneak us about 400 miles off the Japanese coast and we'll launch from the carrier there."  
  
"Has that ever even been done before?" Gooz asked. "Taken Amy bombers off of Navy carriers."  
  
"No."  
  
"Ok."  
  
"Any other questions?"  
  
Angel took off his sunglasses and looked at Doolittle. "Well, sir.. Is it even possible to land a B-25 on an aircraft carrier deck?"  
  
"That won't matter. As soon as we're airborne, the carrier will head straight back for Hawaii."  
  
"But if the carriers head home, where do we land?" Riley asked.  
  
"I have a phrase I want you to memorize. 'Wa shawr yigo magori.' (I don't speak Chinese, so I don't know how to spell it either) It means I am an American.. In Chinese."  
  
Later in the day, Angel and Doyle stood out on the farthest reaches of the deck. They stared at the runway for a minute and then out at the ocean.  
  
"It ain't gonna be any easier. It's three feet shorter than our practice runway.." Angel said.  
  
"Fellas." Doolittle said, walking up to them.  
  
"Sir."  
  
"The Secretary of the Navy gave me these." Doolittle said, holding out little medals.  
  
"What are they?" Doyle asked.  
  
"Friendship medals the Japanese gave us when they were pretending they wanted peace."  
  
"What do you want us to do with them, sir?" Angel asked.  
  
"We're gonna wire em to the bombs and give em back." The three men smiled and then Doolittle got down to business. "So what's goin' on?"  
  
"Well sir, we only have 16 planes."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Well, when the Japs hit us, they had more than 300. How much difference are we really gonna make?"  
  
"It's not that we're afraid sir, it's just that we might die doing this and we wanna know what it's for." Doyle said.  
  
"You know, at Pearl they hit us with a sledgehammer. This raid, even if we make it through, it'll only be a pinprick, but it'll be straight through their hearts. Victory belongs to those who be believe in it the most and believe in it the longest. We're gonna believe." Doolittle started to walk away. "We're gonna make America believe too."  
*Pearl Harbor Navy Base*  
  
Buffy sat on the Major's Jeep waiting for him to come out. It had been three months since Angel had left and she had received the letter he had sent her telling her that he had found her letter. Her stomach didn't have the bulge to it yet, but it was starting to round out. A noise behind her made her stand and find the Major walking up to his Jeep.  
  
"Excuse me, Major Jackson."  
  
"Yes?" The man asked.  
  
"Do you remember me?"  
  
"Oh, sure I do. I'm sorry, I've been meaning to thank you." The Major showed her the scar on his neck. (Again with the ironic.)  
  
"Well, maybe you can. When the news starts coming in about the men in the Doolittle outfit, I wanna be in the command post."  
  
"I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about." The Major got into his Jeep. "How the hell do you know about this mission Lieutenant?"  
  
"Let's call it an inadvertent disclosure."  
  
"You mean some fly boy you're dating shot his mouth off."  
  
"Actually it's about two pilots. I know they're going to great danger. I just wanna be there when the news comes in to tell us if they've lived or died."  
  
"Most officers would have you thrown in the brig."  
  
"Most nurses would have gone on to someone else instead of keeping their fingers plugged in your artery."  
  
The Major started his Jeep and then looked at her. "I can't promise you anything." With that, he drove away.  
  
Buffy stared after him, knowing that she was going to be there. She looked down at her stomach and put a protective hand over it. "Your father is going to come home, I just know it."  
  
*USS Hornet*  
  
Training didn't stop with learning to fly a lighter B-25. Everyday, they still had morning drills. Usually, Doyle and Angel were excluded from them because they were now captains. Like today. The two men walked the flight deck talking. When they looked over at the rising deck, they noticed men with a load of bombs. Right away, most of the men went over and started to paint phrases on the bombs. "This is for Betty." "Tokyo or Bust." Angel wrote on his "I'm going home to Buffy and you Japs can't stop me!" Doyle tied the medals onto the edges of the bombs and then they were loaded into the planes. When everything was done, they all gathered around to have a few root bears or cokes.  
  
Gooz walked out with a box. "All right, in honor of our trip to Japan, I got us some, uh, victory cigars!" The men all laughed and some cheered. As the men all talked, Angel started to walk off.  
  
Doyle caught up to him. "Hey, man. You ok?"  
  
"Yeah. I just miss her." Angel said, looking out at the sea.  
  
"Are you going to ask her to marry you when you get back?"  
  
"Technically I've already asked her. Remember the ring I gave her back when we were all in New York?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"It was a claddagh. The Irish.."  
  
"Like you're mom and dad."  
  
"Yeah, like mom and dad. Anyway, the Irish gave those rings to the person they loved. It's a sign of friendship and devotion." He held his up. It was on his left ring finger. "The hands mean friendship, the crown means loyalty, and the heart means.. Well, you know. If you wear it on your left finger with the heart facing out, you're engaged. I put it on Buffy's finger that way."  
  
"Does she know that?"  
  
"Yes. She does. She still wears it like that."  
  
Doyle smiled. "Come on man. We've got a debriefing to attend."  
  
Angel nodded and they followed the other pilots to the debriefing room. Doolittle was already there and waiting for everyone to get settled.  
  
"My friends in the war department don't want me to lead this raid." Doolittle said. "Cause they say I'm too valuable. They don't want me up in the air with the men that I've chosen. That I've chewed out, cussed out, pushed to the limit, and that I've come to respect. They want me to stand on the flight deck and wave you off. Well, I don't see it that way. So I'm going with you. We take off tomorrow afternoon. Drop our fire and head for China. Our mission is to hit military targets, aircraft, and tank factories." A man raised his hands. "Colonel, you've given us the homing beacons, but you've also told us China is overrun with Japanese troops. What do we do if the beacons are switched off?"  
  
"You bring her down any way you can and do your best to avoid capture."  
  
"What do we do if our planes are damaged and we have to bail out over Japan?" Owen asked.  
  
"Well, in that situation I can't tell you what you should do."  
  
"What would you do, Colonel?" Angel asked.  
  
"I wasn't built to be a prisoner. So, I would have my crew bail out, I'd find the sweetest military target I could and drive my plane right smack into the middle of it and kill as many of those bastards as I possibly could. But that's just me." Doolittle stood straighter. "I'm 45 years old, I'm an old man. You guys have your whole lives ahead of you. So what you do is up to you." With that, the Colonel was gone.  
  
Angel and Doyle stood and headed out of the room. Half way back up to the flight deck, Doolittle caught up with them. Angel nodded. "Colonel."  
  
"Someone tells me that you're engaged and expecting a baby." Doolittle said.  
  
"Who told you that Colonel?"  
  
"A friend of yours. Is it true?"  
  
Angel smiled. "Yes sir, it's true."  
  
"I never thought I would see the day when Angel McCawley got engaged. So who's the lucky lady Captain?"  
  
"Buffy Summers, sir."  
  
"Colonel Giles' daughter."  
  
"Yes sir. How did you know?"  
  
"I knew her father before he lost his license. We were good friends, Rupert and I. Why did you take this mission Captain?"  
  
"I wanted to make a difference, sir. Buffy knows that. She respects me for it."  
  
"As well she should. She's become a beautiful woman. Did you know she came to live with us after her father killed himself?"  
  
"She never told me sir."  
  
"What happened to her mother?" Doyle asked.  
  
"Joyce died of an aneurysm when Buffy was two." Angel said quietly. "She told me about her dad dying too. Just never who she stayed with."  
  
"I love her like she's my own daughter. If you hurt her, I'll kill you." Doolittle said.  
  
"Thank you, sir."  
  
Doolittle walked into the command post and shut the door. Angel and Doyle headed to their bunks to try and get some sleep. Didn't happen though.  
  
*April 18, 1942, Command Post*  
  
Buffy followed Major Jackson down a hallway. He was explaining something to her about what to do. "The mission will launch in a couple of hours. You'll stay right in here." He led her into a hallway full of ladies typing. Buffy looked around at all the somber faced women. They didn't look at her. The Major sat her down in a chair. "Here. Stay here. Don't talk to them, they won't talk to you. Pretend to type whatever information we pass you. That's it." Buffy watched the Major walk away.  
  
*USS Hornet*  
  
Angel was sitting at a desk writing a letter to Buffy. He hadn't been able to sleep and Doyle was just lying in his bunk staring at the ceiling. Angel was almost done with the letter when drills started to go off. Men started running to get up on deck. Angel ran to the door with Doyle on his heels.  
  
"This can't be good." Angel said.  
  
"All hands, man your battle stations." The drill instructor announced.  
  
Angel and Doyle went to get their uniforms and jackets on. As soon as they were almost dressed, the instructor announced for all pilots to man their planes. Angel looked at Doyle who just stared back. This was definitely not good.  
  
Doyle looked out the porthole window. "They're shootin' at something!"  
  
Angel grabbed his shirt and jacket and ran upstairs. "Move! Let's go! Move!" He finished dressing on the way up the stairs. As soon as he was out the door, he headed towards the plane that he had been assigned. "Start pre-flight! Let's go!" Angel climbed up into his plane. Not long after he had started to strap himself in the pilot's seat, Lieutenant Richards was yelling at one of Angel's crewmembers to start loading stuff off the plane. He even called for the tail gun to be taken out. Angel climbed out of the plane and went to find Doyle. His friend was walking up to him holding painted broomsticks.  
  
"We've got broomsticks for tail guns!" Doyle said.  
  
"Yeah, maybe it'll scare em." Angel said, taking one.  
  
"You take care of yourself up there."  
  
"Yeah, I will. Doyle, be careful. You hear me?"  
  
"I will. I'll see ya Angel."  
  
Gooz looked out at Angel. "Angel! We're the tip of the sword!"  
  
Angel nodded and ran back to his plane. Everyone was situated and where they should be. Every plane had an extra 10 cans of fuel. Angel strapped into his communications and started his plane. "Turning on one!"  
  
Xander, Angel's co-pilot, looked out his window. "Turning on two!"  
  
"You ready Xander?"  
  
"You know it."  
  
Angel geared up and got ready to go. All they had to do was wait and see if Colonel Doolittle made it off the deck. Minutes ticked by as Doolittle geared up and started off down the runway. As soon as he was to the end, his plane took off. "Yes!"  
  
"All right!"  
  
Now it was Angel's turn. "All right, full power. Full power. Here we go!" Angel took off. "We're gonna make it!" He pulled up and the plane took off. Angel and Xander started to laugh triumphantly. Soon, all the planes were in the air, in formation, and headed to Japan.  
  
*Command Post*  
  
Buffy stared at the radio room and watched the frantic faces of the people inside. Apparently, the mission had to take off 12 hours before it was scheduled and the planes might not have enough fuel to make it to China. On the radio, the President was making a speech, but Buffy wasn't listening. She was too fixated on the radio room. Every slip of paper someone had handed her had gone unnoticed. Buffy had given up on trying to type as fast as the other women. All she could focus on was Angel. Everything inside her screamed that she shouldn't have let him go, but a part of her knew that there was no stopping him. Angel was a hero and he would do anything to defend his country. That was one of the many reasons Buffy loved him.  
  
Buffy's fingers pecked at the keys as she stared at Major Jackson. He was listening to the whole thing through a headset and his expression was strained as he turned and looked at Buffy. She was so nervous and it was upsetting her sensitive stomach. The Major nodded at her to calm her nerves just a fraction and then turned away. Buffy's curiosity got the better of her and she got up to move the slips of paperwork onto a filing cabinet near the radio room door. Major Jackson looked at her again with that strained expression and her nervousness and concern deepened.  
  
*Pacific Ocean near Japan*  
  
"That's Japan right there fellas." Angel said. "Tighten up back there. Man your guns." Doolittle came over the headset. "We're in the enemy's backyard."  
  
"All right, look alive back there. I see coastline." Doyle said on the headset.  
  
"Heads up boys! Heads up!" They were now flying over the docks of Tokyo. "Open bomb bay doors!"  
  
"Riley, you got our target in sight?" Angel asked.  
  
"Target in sight." Spike yelled back.  
  
"All right boys, let's knock their clocks off! Bombs away!"  
  
As the bombs dropped, explosions happened right underneath the planes. Angel looked out for a second to see the fiery explosions. A small amount of satisfaction creeped into his mind as he watched the little Japanese figures scatter as their warehouses were exploding.  
  
*Command Post*  
  
Buffy still stood by the door. A man came out with an empty mug and left the door open. Buffy heard the cries over the radio.  
  
"Caught em by surprise!"  
  
"Bombs away! Bombs away!" Buffy heard Doyle yell.  
  
"We blew up a factory!" Angel's voice said. Buffy's hopes almost soared. He was ok so far. He was ok.  
  
*Tokyo*  
  
Angel looked out at the smoke and debris flying through the air. That used to be Tokyo's military bases and plants. Everyone was cheering and celebrating, but they weren't out of the clear yet. Everyone knew this was true when explosions started happening everywhere around them. The Japs had recovered enough to start shooting back at them.  
  
"Shit!" Angel yelled when a bullet flew right through the bottom of his plane. "We got flak everywhere!"  
  
*Command Post*  
  
The radio started to get static-y as the men started yelling. Buffy couldn't understand what some of it was saying, but she knew it wasn't good. Major Jackson barked orders for his men to clean it up. She looked at him frantically and he just stared back, trying to convey his hopes to her. The man with the now full mug came back and shut the door. Buffy watched helplessly as the men ran around in the room. With a small sigh, she looked away and tried to make herself breathe. When she looked back in, Major Jackson was shaking his head as he listened to whatever it was the men were saying. His face expressed the worst kind of sorrow and Buffy felt all hope drain away. She numbly walked back over to her desk and sat down, tears running down her face as she watched in shocked horror the faces of the distressed men in the radio room.  
  
*Tokyo*  
  
"God damn it!" Angel said as more flak exploded everywhere around him. He had lost sight of Doyle for a few minutes. Another explosion sounded in the planes. "Xander, go check it out." Xander nodded and left. "We gotta take it up, 800 feet." Angel pulled the plane's nose upwards and headed into the clouds. Explosions ricocheted in front of the plane and Angel growled in frustration. Spike yelled from the back that Theo was dead. Angel looked back and then yelled over the radio, "Get up in the clouds, Doyle. Get up in that soup." Angel looked over and saw Doyle's plane right nest to his. They both pulled up into the clouds together.  
  
By sunset, the two men were flying their planes on empty tanks and the gasoline was running out fast. Angel kept fiddling with the homing beacon and the radio, but nothing came on. He looked at the sunset. "We're still not getting a signal." Angel sighed and looked back at Xander. "How many cans of fuel we got left?"  
  
"Theses are all empty!" Spike yelled.  
  
"Is this all you got?" Xander asked.  
  
"It's all we got Xander."  
  
"Angel, you better pray for land!"  
  
Angel turned back to watch the sunset. He sighed and thought of Buffy. Her beautiful face and shining golden hair. She only got more radiant every time he saw her. Now she was pregnant with his baby and he might not even get to see it. A thousand different thoughts of what the future could hold swam through his mind. Doolittle's voice over the radio cut Angel out of his reverie.  
  
"I'm sorry gentlemen. You're all brave souls. Some of the bravest I've had the privilege of flying with. But we're on our own."  
  
"So it was a suicide mission." Angel said sadly. He felt like he had failed Buffy. He had promised that he would come home to her and now he probably wasn't going to. Reaching in his pocket, Angel took out the picture of Buffy that she had given him. She was standing next to his plane and the wind had caught her hair. It was the first time Angel had shown her his plane and it was the first time she had come to visit him in New Jersey. That was also the night that they had both known they were soulmates. Now Angel hated himself for leaving her to go on this stupid, selfish mission.  
  
*Command Post*  
  
Buffy had heard James Doolittle's speech to his men and realized that none of them would return home. It would take a miracle to bring them home safe and alive. She covered her mouth and started to cry. A million different memories of Angel and her together swam through her thoughts. Her favorite memory was the night they had first made love, the night their baby had been conceived. She had never felt more loved in her entire lifetime than she had that night lying in Angel's warm and safe arms. Now she would probably never get to feel those arms again.  
  
*Tokyo*  
  
"Engine one is fluctuated. We're gonna lose it any minute." Xander said. The engine stopped. "Angel, you gotta prime it!"  
  
"I'm primin'! How bout now?" Angel asked, shifting a gearshift. The engine started again. Angel looked up and his heart almost stopped at what he saw. "I see the coast. I SEE THE COAST!" Exactly as he'd said, the coast of China laid dead ahead.  
  
"Copy that Angel." Doyle said.  
  
"Doyle, follow me now. We're gonna make this. I can see the coast right now. It's only a few miles out. Follow me."  
  
"We're followin' you Angel. We gotta find a soft landing spot."  
  
"Push up on two. Fellas, this is gonna be a hard landing. Hold on. I see rice patties right there. We'll bring it in right here." Angel started his decent just as engine one died completely.  
  
"Oh God, engine one is dead." Xander said. "We're gonna lose engine two any second."  
  
"We can make it in. Easy. Pull it back, we'll glide in. Go in on fumes." They flew over an encampment and saw the Japanese flag. Angel started to pull up. "Japs! We got Jap patrols all over the place! There's Japs everywhere Doyle! Land somewhere else. Stap yourselves in boys, we're goin in hard! We're a dead stick!"  
  
"Get out of the nose!" Spike yelled.  
  
"Hold on boys, we're goin down! Watch the trees!" The plane skimmed over the trees and flew straight for the ground. Angel braced himself and allowed Buffy's image to float through his mind just before the plane smashed into the ground. The glass exploded around him and he ducked as best he as he could while strapped to the seat. Dirt flew everywhere and explosions ricocheted through the plane. As soon as things were as calm as they were going to get, Angel turned to his crew. "Is everyone all right?"  
  
"I'm ok." Spike said, looking around in amazement. "Where's Ripley?"  
  
"He's dead." Angel said as they all started to climb out of the wreckage. "Watch for Japs!" Angel tried to stand up straight, but something had hit him hard in the stomach and it hurt to stand up straight. He toppled down the side of the plane's nose. Suddenly, the grass started to move and Angel climbed up on the wing. "Jap patrols!" He dived behind the wing with the remainder of his crew and started to load his pistol.  
  
"Take cover!" Xander yelled.  
  
The Japs started to shoot at them. Angel ducked and then turned around to shoot his gun at them. The bullets threw dirt in the air as the Japs kept missing them. Some pinged off the sides of the airplane. Angel's gun clicked and he ducked behind the wing again.  
  
"Who's got extra magazines?" Angel asked.  
  
"I got em!" Xander yelled. He tossed Angel a magazine cartridge and loaded one into his gun at the same time Angel did.  
  
"We gotta get up into those hills and find the Chinese." Angel said before he turned back around and shot a couple of times at the patrols. They started firing and Angel ducked again. "They got us pinned down!"  
  
Suddenly, bullets started to fly and tear into the Jap patrols. Angel looked up and saw Doyle's plane fly overhead, shooting their guns for all they were worth just before diving nose first into the ground. The plane exploded in fire and dirt.  
  
"DOYLE!" Angel jumped up without thinking and took off towards the other downed plane.  
  
"Angel! Angel no!" Xander yelled, running after him.  
  
"Doyle!" Everywhere around him, Japs sprung up out of the high grass and started to fire. Angel shot them each down in turn as he ran towards Doyle's plane. He looked up at the mangled wreckage. "Oh God! Doyle! DOYLE! Come on! Ah, Jesus!" He ran around the side of the plane to the pilot's seat. "DOYLE!" He found Riley's body lying next to the plane. "Oh shit, Riley." Angel ran around to the other side of the plane and found Doyle sitting propped against the side. He ran over and crouched next to him. He had something sticking out of his neck. "Doyle. Easy, easy, easy."  
  
"I've had better landings." Doyle said.  
  
"You saved us back there."  
  
"AH! I got something in my neck."  
  
"Lemme try to pull this out for you."  
  
"Where's Gooz?"  
  
"He's fine. He's over with Xander." Angel tugged gently on the metal protruding from Doyle's neck. Suddenly, Doyle's attention was turned towards something and when Angel looked over his face was met with a gun butt to the side of the head. He went toppling end over end into the grass and away from Doyle. Japanese surrounded them and they started yelling at them.  
  
"Angel!" Doyle cried.  
  
Angel looked around, but his vision was a little fuzzy from the blow to his head. He looked over and saw that Doyle had a rifle pointed at his head. Angel's feet were being tied together by a couple of Japanese patrolmen. Angel growled in frustration and started to struggle a little. They pointed more guns at him and his friends. Angel looked up and saw the Japs haul Doyle to his feet and start strapping him to a stock. Their eyes met and Angel knew that Doyle was scared and in a lot of pain. Angel gritted his teeth and knew that he wasn't going to let his friend go down like that. He looked around for a weapon of any kind and saw a pistol lying on the ground not far away. As the Japs holding him started to drag him away, Angel twisted and grabbed the pistol. He shot the Japs dragging him and the Japs holding on to Doyle. He pointed at another patrolmen, but his gun clicked and the man pointed his rifle at Angel.  
  
Angel knew in that moment that he was going to die. Everything flew through his mind at once. He saw him and Doyle as kids pretending to go after the Germans in their make-believe plane. Then he saw them all grown up and he saw himself happy with Buffy and Doyle and Cordelia right next to them on a dance floor in New York. He saw the night him and Buffy had first made love and then he saw Buffy staring back at him as he boarded the plane to leave her and come on this mission. The only emotion he felt was guilt. Guilt that he had left Buffy for the second time only to actually be killed. Guilt that he had let his friends down.  
  
When Angel opened his eyes, Doyle slammed into the patrolman that had his rifle pointed at Angel. The man went down and all guns turned on Doyle. Angel watched in horror as bullets slammed into Doyle and he went down to his knees under the barrage. His friends went into action and started to beat back the patrolmen. Gooz threw a grenade and it exploded, sending patrolmen everywhere. Angel worked out of his bonds and looked over as Doyle fell to the ground.  
  
"Doyle!" Angel ran over. "Doyle! Oh God!" Doyle was struggling for breath. He made gurgling sounds in his throat. Angel started to undo Doyle's bonds and get him out of the stock.  
  
"Angel!" Doyle gasped.  
  
"Hold on now. I got it. You're all right. You're all right." Angel cradled Doyle's head in his arms.  
  
"I'm not.. I'm not gonna make it." Angel looked over the bullet wounds in Doyle's chest as Doyle let out a strangled cry.  
  
"Oh yes you are. Yes you are. Doyle, look at me!"  
  
"Angel.. I'm so cold. I'm so cold."  
  
"You're all right." Angel started to cry as Doyle tried to move in to hug him. Angel pulled him to him gently.  
  
"Angel.. Can you do me a favor?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Can you have someone else write my name on the tombstone?" Doyle was crying along with Angel.  
  
"You're not gonna die! Look at me! Listen!" Angel was getting mad, but his tears were still flowing. "You ain't gonna die. You hear me? Doyle?" Doyle let out gasping breaths as the light in his eyes started to dim. "Doyle, you can't die. You can't die. You know why? Cordelia needs you." Angel's tears fell harder as Doyle looked into his eyes. "Please."  
  
Doyle grabbed on tightly to Angel's vest and closed his eyes tight against the pain. He looked up at Angel and with his last breath he said, "Take care of her." He grimaced and then went limp in Angel's grasp.  
  
"Doyle? Doyle? Doyle, please! Please. Please. Please." Angel started to sob. "Please Doyle, no." He laid his head on Doyle's shoulder and cried. Everyone was gathered around the two best friends.  
  
Angel held Doyle until the Chinese troops showed up to save them. They took Doyle away from him and carried him away on a stretcher.  
  
*May*  
  
Buffy stared at the plane as it landed. She was now four months along and starting to show. She stared at the men that unloaded, waiting to see if Angel was one of them. She hadn't received any letters from him since the day at the command post. Those couple of weeks had been the worst of her life. Cordy had helped her through it and the dark haired woman now stood by her side, waiting for Doyle.  
  
Doolittle was the first off the plane. He walked up to Buffy and hugged her, congratulating her on her engagement and the baby. Cordy nodded at him as he walked away and the two women turned back to the plane. She saw Angel emerge from the plane and her face lighted up with happiness. The only injury Buffy saw was his bandaged hand. Cordy smiled too, knowing that Doyle should be with him. When Angel looked at Cordy with sad eyes, Buffy knew at the same moment Cordy did. Doyle had come back in a box. Their thoughts were proved true when Angel turned and helped carry out of the plane a large wooden coffin.  
  
Buffy and Cordy approached slowly. Cordelia was grasping Buffy's hand tightly, but Buffy didn't even notice. She reached out and touched the leather jacket that had once been Doyle's. Angel and the others sat the coffin down and Angel scooped Buffy into his arms. She held him as tightly as her strength would allow. The medics took Doyle's coffin and Buffy hugged Cordy as she decided to go with them. Buffy and Angel watched and then she turned back to him.  
  
"Angel, I'm so sorry."  
  
"I love you Buffy. I'm sorry I went away. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Angel broke down and Buffy grasped him tightly to her.  
  
"Shh." She stroked his hair. "You're here. You're safe."  
  
"I'm sorry. I failed Doyle and I almost failed you."  
  
"Shh. You didn't fail Doyle. You didn't fail anybody. Shh. Shh."  
  
*Buffy Voiceover*  
  
"When the action is over and we look back, we understand both more and less. This much is certain: before the Doolittle raid, America knew nothing but defeat. After it, nothing but victory. Japan realized for the first time that they could lose and began to pull back. America realized that she could win and surged forward. It was a war that changed America. Dorrie Miller was the first black American to be awarded the Navy Cross, but he would not be the last. He joined a brotherhood of heroes. World War II began for us at Pearl Harbor. And 1,177 men still lie entombed in the battleship Arizona. America suffered, but America grew stronger. It was not inevitable. The times tried our souls and through the trial, we overcame."  
  
*1945*  
  
Buffy and Angel watched their son play in the field. Doyle's headstone was near the barn where he and Angel had played pilots. After their wedding in Hawaii, Buffy and Angel had moved out to Illinois and into Angel's old home. Their son was now three years old and they had named him Connor Francis McCawley after Doyle. Buffy and Angel had both been awarded medals of honor. Buffy had been there holding their new born son as the President of the United States gave Angel his medal.  
  
Angel walked up to Connor and squatted in front of him. "Hey Connor, how would you like to go flying?"  
  
Buffy smiled and watched as Angel took their son over to their airplane, his father's old crop duster, and went flying.  
THE END 


End file.
